ORANGE GRANITA with STAR ANISE

A granita can be a fat-free dessert or a palate cleanser between courses. It's easy to make and can be adapted using other fruit juices such as watermelon, apple and berry.

Serves 6. 

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 star anise pods
1 ½  cups freshly squeezed orange juice
Grand Marnier liqueur to serve (optional)

Method:

Heat sugar, water and star anise together in a pot until just boiling.

Remove star anise, then add orange juice, pouring it through a strainer to remove any pips and pulp.

Transfer to a shallow container and freeze, working over with a fork every 20 minutes until frozen to obtain the granita texture.

Spoon into glasses with a dash of Grand Marnier in the bottom, and garnish with a mint leaf.

Recipe courtesy NZ Gardener, Garden Diary