4th of July: Patriotic Granita

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. Not only because it is my birthday, but because everyone is so patriotic and comes together to celebrate America. I am a big sucker for creating red, white and blue treats to share on the 4th. From chocolate covered strawberries to cookies, I have tried all sorts of things. This year I want to focus a series of posts on a few things that I believe are staples of July 4th:

• Drinks
• Ice cream
• Cake
• Fireworks

In this post we will focus on a tasty patriotic drink, watermelon granita. I saw this on one of my favorite food sites, The Pioneer Woman, last year and it was a big hit the first time I made it. So go out and buy a watermelon so you can make some for your 4th of July celebration.

Watermelon Granita:

• 8c of watermelon chunks (seeds removed)
• 1/2c of sugar
• 2 limes, juiced
• Blue sanding sugar

Put watermelon, sugar and lime juice in a food processor and pulse untile it becomes liquid. Pour mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and cover. My dish has a tupperware lid that goes on top. Put dish into freezer for 4-5 hours until liquid is frozen.

When ready to serve wet the rim of a glass and dip it into blue sanding sugar. Chop up the granita and spoon it into cup. Serve immediately.

NOTE: For those looking for an "adult drink" add vodka to taste before serving. Try to use vodka that has been in the freezer so it doesn't melt the granita.

Happy Baking,
AJ