Recipes: Summer Time Sorbets & Granitas!

Cool off with these wonderful and easy-to-make sorbet & granitas recipes for summer!


Watermelon Granita
Starting with seedless watermelon makes this a breeze to put together.
5 cups roughly chopped watermelon (seeds removed)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lime juice

1. Combine the watermelon, sugar and lime juice in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Puree until the fruit is liquefied/smooth.
2. Pour into a shallow, wide pan and freeze for 1 hour. Rake mixture with fork and freeze for another hour. Rake and freeze for one more hour. Rake and serve in glass cups with mint or lime garnish.

Number of servings: 6+

Ruby Red Grapefruit Sherbet
Sherbet relies on egg whites, rather than cream, for a velvety texture. To segment grapefruit, slice off rind with a knife. Holding the fruit over a bowl, cut between the white membranes, letting the segments and any juice fall into the bowl.


2 cups Ruby Red grapefruit segments and juice
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 egg white
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar

1. Place the grapefruit segments, juice and zest in a blender; pulse until pureed.
   
   
2. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white, cream of tartar and salt in a small bowl until foamy.
   
   
3. Mix the sugar with 3 tablespoons water in small saucepan. Boil 2 minutes without stirring. With the electric mixer at medium speed, beat this sugar syrup into the egg whites, drizzling it in a steady trickle. Continue beating until cool, about 5 minutes. Fold in the grapefruit puree. Chill 2 hours.
   
   
4. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, pour the chilled mixture into a 9x13-inch pan; place it in the freezer 1 hour. Stir, breaking up any ice crystals; continue stirring every 15 minutes until slushy but smooth. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Number of servings: 4

Strawberry Sorbet
Because many sorbets are fat-free, they're able to highlight the great flavor of fruit without costing you too much. This one features the luscious strawberries of summer.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 quart strawberries, stemmed and quartered
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

1. Place the ingredients in the order listed in a blender; pulse twice, then blend until smooth.
   
   
2. Freeze in an ice cream machine, following the manufacturer's instructions. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Number of servings: 6
(Source: WeightWatchers.com and FoodNetwork.com)