Dark chocolate granita

If you have not tried a chocolate water ice before, you are in for a treat! It is like eating a frozen bar of crumbled chocolate — definitely for chocoholics.

* Makes about 1 1/2 pints

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, flaked, grated, or finely chopped, plus more for decoration

Gently warm the water, brown sugar, cocoa, and corn syrup together until blended. Stir gently until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

Stir in the white chocolate. Pour into a freezer container and freeze until almost firm, stirring and breaking up once during freezing. Just before serving, break up again to achieve a nice, granular consistency.

To serve, scoop into bowls and sprinkle with more white chocolate.

Variations:

• Mint candy granita

Prepare the basic granita, with or without the white chocolate. When partly frozen break up the mixture and stir in 1 cup crushed or crumbled mint candy bar. Freeze briefly until ready to serve.

• Praline crunch granita

Prepare the basic granita. When partly frozen, stir in 6 to 8 tablespoons of roughly crushed praline.

• Chocolate granita with black cherries

Cook 1/2 cup pitted black cherries with 1/8 cup light brown sugar until tender, then chill. Prepare the basic granita and serve with the cherries in their syrup.

• Chocolate granita with berries

Prepare the basic granita. When partly frozen, break up the mixture and stir in 1 cup dried cranberries, blueberries, or cherries. Freeze briefly until ready to serve.