Strawberry-Lime Granita with Coconut Cream

To make the granita, place a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking dish in the freezer to chill.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a blender, combine the sugar water, strawberries, lime juice and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth.

Pour the strawberry mixture into the chilled baking dish. Place the dish, uncovered, in the freezer for 4 to 6 hours, scraping the mixture with the prongs of a fork every hour to help form tiny ice flakes.

Meanwhile, make the coconut cream: Chill the bowl of an electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Scoop the cream from the top of the canned coconut into the chilled bowl (reserve the remaining coconut milk for another use) and add the maple syrup and vanilla bean paste. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until a thickened cream forms, a level below soft peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

To serve, divide the coconut cream among 6 old-fashioned glasses, then top each with a few spoonfuls of the granita. Garnish with the lime zest and a few sliced strawberries and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen