Summer berry water ice

A mixture of really ripe berries gives a luscious flavor of summer and a gorgeous splash of color.

* Makes about 1 3/4 pints

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup superfine sugar (depending on ripeness and mix of berries)
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups fresh berries
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Mix the sugar and water in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from the heat.

Pick over or hull the fruit as needed, wash and dry, and add to the pan of sugar water. Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved and leave in the hot syrup until the fruit softens.

Cool slightly, add the lemon juice, and then purée, or push through a fine-mesh sieve if you want a smooth purée. Pour into a freezer container. Freeze until partly frozen, break up with a fork into crystals, then freeze again until almost frozen, whisking gently once more during this time.

To serve, break up the granita into crystals and serve with more berries or chewy meringues.

Variations:

• Black currant water ice

Prepare the basic recipe using only black currants; add extra sugar to taste. Serve with iced Cassis or black currant liqueur poured over the top.

• Blueberry water ice

Prepare the basic granita recipe using only blueberries and slightly less sugar and adding 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

• Cherry water ice

Prepare the basic granita recipe using ripe pitted black cherries. Serve with a sprinkling of dark chocolate.

• Gooseberry water ice

Prepare the basic granita recipe using ripe gooseberries and extra sugar to taste. You might like to add a drop of green or pink food coloring for a more dramatic effect.

• Blackberry & apple water ice

Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the 2 cups of berries with 1 cup blackberries and 1 cup peeled and chopped apple.