Cucumber Anise Granita Recipes

Steps:

• In a blender, purée the sugar and 1/4 cup water on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, let rest for a minute and then purée again for 30 seconds.
• Add the cucumbers, melon, lime juice, sake and a pinch of salt. Purée the mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large baking dish. Freeze the mixture. Scrape with a fork until light and fluffy, like fresh snow. Serve in small bowls or glasses, topped with a light sprinkle of sea salt and shiso leaf.

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers, and pass through a juicer. Place in an 8-inch square metal baking pan, and add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, and place in the freezer, uncovered, 1 hour; remove from freezer, and stir with a fork.
• Return to freezer until mixture is frozen and granular, about 3 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. Serve, or cover with plastic wrap, and store in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Coarsely chop enough of cucumbers to measure 4 1/2 cups and purée in a blender with remaining ingredients in 2 batches until smooth. Pour into an 8- to 9-inch baking pan.
• Freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every hour, until evenly frozen, about 4 hours total. Scrape with a fork to lighten texture, crushing any lumps.
• Serve immediately or freeze, covered, up to 3 days (rescrape to lighten texture again if necessary).

Steps:

• In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and cool syrup.
• Chop coarse enough of cucumbers to measure 6 cups and in a blender purée with syrup in 2 batches until smooth. Transfer purée to a shallow metal baking pan and stir in liqueur. Freeze mixture, covered, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork about every 30 minutes, until mixture is firm but not frozen hard, 2 to 3 hours. Granita may be made 2 days ahead and kept frozen, covered. Just before serving, scrape granita with a fork to lighten texture.