When you're looking for something cold and fruity to beat summer's blistering heat, consider this frozen Italian dessert with an adult twist.

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1½ cups loosely packed fresh basil
  • 4 cups blueberries
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ gin

Directions

Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 3 hours

In a small saucepan, bring to a boil sugar and water, whisking until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat, stir in basil, and let cool fully. Strain syrup, discarding solids. In a blender, puree basil syrup, blueberries, and lemon juice. Press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer (discarding pulp), then whisk in gin.

Pour liquid into a shallow, freezer-safe dish and freeze 1 hour. Remove dish from freezer and stir granita with a fork to break it up, paying particular attention to edges of dish. Return granita to freezer, raking it with a fork every half hour until it is completely frozen and flaky.

More Chilly Summer Treats
From the August 2012 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

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