Watermelon Italian Ice Food

ITALIAN ICE

Steps:

• Blend the fruit, sugar, honey and lemon juice with 2 cups ice in a food processor or blender until chunky. Add another 1 cup ice and blend until completely smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish and freeze 30 minutes. Scrape the ice with a fork until slushy, then freeze until firm, about 2 more hours. Scoop into paper cups.

WATERMELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Slice, peel, and cube 6 cups of watermelon. Combine coarsely chopped watermelon, sugar, and lime juice in a bowl and let stand until macerated and juicy, 25 minutes.
• Process in a blender until just smooth, then pass through a China cap using the back of a ladle. Transfer to a shallow metal tray and remove the foam on top. Freeze, stirring and scraping occasionally with a fork until crystals form and granita is frozen (2-4 hours). Every 20-30 minutes, scrape a fork through the mixture to create the crystals.
• To serve, divide finely diced watermelon among chilled serving glasses and top with granita. Drizzle with vodka (optional) and serve immediately.

ITALIAN ICE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, dissolve sugar in water.
• Add fruit juice, strawberries, or chocolate.
• If adding fruit juice, let stand 5 minutes, then strain out rind.
• Pour mixture into freezing tray & freeze, stirring frequently until mixture is thick & mushy.
• Serve in chilled champagne glasses with appropriate garnish.

WATERMELON SORBET

Steps:

• Cook the sugar, water and lemon juice together, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and chill.
• Cut up the watermelon and remove all seeds.
• Puree in a blender or food processor.
• Stir into chilled syrup.
• Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Pack into an airtight container and store in the freezer.

WATERMELON ICE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan simmer water with sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer syrup to a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir syrup until cold.
• Discard rind from watermelon and cut fruit into 1-inch chunks. In a blender purée watermelon, syrup, and lemon juice and pour through a fine sieve into a 9-inch square metal baking pan, pressing hard on solids. Freeze mixture, covered, until frozen, 6 to 8 hours, and up to 2 days. Just before serving, scrape watermelon ice with a fork to lighten texture and break up ice crystals. Makes about 5 cups, serving 6.