They say the best recipes are inspired by memories. And rightly so. This recipe is inspired from my trip to Rome where I had the best gelato combination of my life: a lemon, rosemary and honey. I can still taste it, and I would go back there in a jiffy, given an opportunity (any sponsors reading?).
SPRIG’s Natural Culinary Lavender Extract is a beauty. On my trip to Rome I brought back some dried lavender to make my Lavender Lemon Cake, and used the flower sparingly to save as much as I could. Now I know getting my lavender fix is as easy as going online and clicking order! This liquid is simply divine, and team it with some dried lavender and you know something gorgeous will come from it. Lavender is a calming and soothing flower; it pairs well with strong cheeses like gorgonzola, some honey and of course vanilla. You can get as creative as you want, and I can assure you won’t tire of this bloom.
In an effort for a sweet healthy dessert, a granita is one of the easiest desserts to make at home, requiring no kind of special equipment. Just the ingredients, a container and a fork! It takes a few hours for the setting, but really it’s as fuss-free as possible and looks fancy, its refreshing and a delightful variation to the usual suspects in the granita-sorbet world!
And here is where Rome nostalgia comes in – lavender, honey, rosemary and lots of fresh lemon zest make for a refreshing ice dessert. This could also work as a palate cleanser if you’re doing a fancy meal, but I would lessen the quantity of the lavender extract, so as not to overpower.
The Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tsp SPRIG Culinary Lavender Extract
- 1 tsp dried lavender buds
- 3 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a freezer-safe container.
- Place the airtight container in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
- Remove after and with a fork scrape the set iced mixture into a granita-like slush.
- Replace back in the freezer for another 2-3 hours.
- When you serve, scrape the granita with a fork to create the granita-like texture. For a fancy look, serve the granita in scooped out lemon halves.
