Topped with fresh basil leaves, this dessert pays homage to the verdancy of summer.

For children, there’s nothing more exciting than diving into an icy cold snow cone on a sweltering summer afternoon. As the intense heat of August marches on, we start longing for one more taste of that frosty, syrupy goodness.

This grown-up version is flavoured with pink grapefruit and guava juices, lending the frozen treat a more refined taste than the artificial red cherry and blue raspberry varieties we enthusiastically slurped down once upon a time. And with a healthy spike of rose wine in the mix, this is the perfect adult refresher for backyard barbecues and happy hours alike. We’ve ditched the paper cones in favour of something a little more sophisticated, but (no judgement here!) that’s totally up to you.
 

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup pink grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup guava juice
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp lemon zest 3 cups rosé wine

Directions

1 In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, pink grapefruit juice, guava juice and basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, and stir frequently until the sugar has completely dissolved.

2 Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a mixing bowl and discard the basil.

3 Add the orange zest, lemon zest and wine, then pour the mixture into a large shallow baking dish, whisking to combine.

4 Freeze for 2 hours, then scrape the mixture lightly with a fork to break up the ice crystals. Put back into the freezer for another hour, then scrape the mixture again. Repeat until completely frozen, about 5 hours in total. Serve the granita in bowls, garnished with basil leaves.

Serves: 4