INGREDIENTS

  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 limes
  • 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons white rum

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan; grate the zest from the 2 limes directly into the saucepan.
  2. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Reserve 5 of the mint leaves; add the remaining mint to the saucepan, and remove from the heat.
  4. Cover and let stand for 8 minutes, then remove cover and let cool to room temperature.
  5. Once cool, strain the mixture into the container you plan to freeze the granita in, pressing firmly on the leaves to extract all the flavorful liquid.
  6. Discard mint leaves.
  7. Stir in the lime juice and rum; then finely chopped the reserved 5 mint leaves and add them as well.
  8. Place granita in the freezer; begin checking it after about 1 hour; once it begins to freeze around the edges, take a fork and stir the mixture, breaking up the frozen parts near the edges into smaller chunks and raking them toward the center.
  9. Return dish to freezer, then check mixture every 30 minutes afterward, stirring each time and breaking up any large chunks into small pieces with a fork, until you have beautiful, fine crystals.
  10. Serve in a chilled cocktail glass/martini glass.