How to Make: Strawberry and Elderflower Granita

My dinner friends and I are mad on granitas. They're great as a lovely light dessert- or as a little non-filling palate cleanser before a more substantial pudding if, like us, you want to squeeze in as many different dishes as possible!
They're a really summery thing, so try fit a few in before the weather turns for good and we are undeniably in autumn!

Not strawberry granita, but granita nonetheless!

For the sorbet
250g strawberries
125g caster sugar
120ml water
juice of half a lemon

For the syrup
150g strawberries
75ml elderflower cordial
15 small mint leaves

To make the sorbet, put the sugar in a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. You can remove it from the heat as soon as the sugar has dissolved and set aside to cool.

Rinse and hull the strawberries then whiz them in a blender or food processor till smooth. Add the lemon juice, then stir the strawberry purée into the cold sugar syrup. Now either pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn till frozen, or pour into a freezer box and place in the freezer.

Leave for a good couple of hours then remove, and beat the freezing edges into the middle with a whisk. Refreeze for a further two hours then beat once more, again bringing in the ice crystals from the outside into the middle. Return to the freezer till firm.

Make the syrup by cutting the strawberries in half and putting them in a bowl with the elderflower cordial. Chop the mint leaves finely and stir them into the cordial and berries. Cover, refrigerate and leave for a good 30 minutes for the flavours to marry.

To serve, place scoops of the sorbet into small bowls, then spoon over the berries and their mint and elderflower syrup

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