I love a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink that I can whip up with minimal effort using only the ingredients I have in my cupboard. This sophisticated slush-puppy fits the bill and was just what I needed to cool down on this very hot weekend in Cape Town. If you don’t know what a granita is, it can best be described as that wonderful state in between a lemonade and sorbet. I am already dreaming up other variations on this classic Italian drink, such as strawberry granita.

Ingredients:

• 1 L water
• 185 ml sugar
• 250 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 lemon zest

Method:

1. Heat the water on the stove and dissolve all the sugar.
2. Once cooled, add the lemon juice and zest.
3. Place in deep freeze and freeze solid, stirring every two hours until frozen.
4. Place in fridge one hour before serving and then scrape and poke with a fork until it resembles crushed ice. It is very important to leave it in the fridge, as this makes it easier to break into pieces without it simply melting.
5. Serve immediately.