Watermelon Granita

I got a lot of positive feedback on the watermelon post, so I thought I'd post another quick recipe using watermelon for a super refreshing granita, courtesy of Emeril's website. It's really simple to make and is wonderful as a cold dessert or palate cleanser between courses for a fancier dinner party. If you wanted to spruce it up even more for the adults, you can add vodka or champagne as well.

Watermelon Granita

5 cups peeled and seeded watermelon chunks (from about a 3-pound slice of watermelon)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Place the watermelon chunks in the bowl of a blender or a food processor, replace the top, and blend on high speed until very smooth. Turn the blender off.

Transfer the watermelon puree to a mixing bowl and add the sugar and lime juice.

Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the mixing bowl to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the freezer and use a fork to scrape any ice crystals from the sides of the bowl. Stir to incorporate the crystals. Return to the freezer.

Repeat this scraping procedure every 30 minutes, or until the consistency is "snowy" when scraped with a fork or spoon, at least 4 hours. Then scoop into bowls or dessert glasses and serve.

YIELD: 6 to 8 servings