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We love freezer pops, ice cream, and bright blue slushies as much as anyone during the dog days of summer, but we have to admit that sometimes we want a summer dessert that feels a little more special. You know, the kind of recipe that you can whip out when you have company over, but that still scratches that sort of summer nostalgia itch. Well, Alex Guarnaschelli, author of the forthcoming Cook It Up: Bold Moves For Family Foods has just the recipe. It’s a watermelon granita parfait recipe that the star shared on Instagram, and it’s the perfect balance of icy, creamy, fruity, and rich.
Her recipe uses one store-bought shortcut: lemon sorbet. That frees up some time to focus on the watermelon granita. Making the granita is actually pretty simple, as long as you have a blender and time. Guarnaschelli blends together cubes of fresh watermelon, lime zest and juice, and honey, then freezes it for 3-4 hours in a sheet pan. Then, after it’s frozen, she uses the tines of a fork to scrape the mixture up, creating an icy granita that’s so refreshing, it’s good enough to eat on its own. But an Iron Chef like Cook With Me author Guarnaschelli knows how to really bring it home.
She creates a parfait, with layers of cubed watermelon drizzled with lime juice, lemon sorbet, whipped cream, and granita stacked up in a glass. She sprinkles the granita layer with a little sea salt and some sugar to really make all of the flavors pop. The lime juice and salt are subtle, but they help keep the dessert from tasting overly sweet, and it’s especially refreshing on hot, humid days.
The next time you’re in charge of making dessert, pick up a watermelon and some lemon sorbet at the store and try your hand at Alex Guarnaschelli’s watermelon parfait recipe. We’ll never say no to a treat from the ice cream truck, but there’s no denying that this frosty dessert is next-level.
In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:
Watch: How to Make Watermelon Mango Salsa
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