cantaloupe-basil granita // coconut whip

...or for the unofficial cook like myself, this is simply a fancy snowie. the kids and adult guests will dig it.

this dessert is rather easy to make and tastes light & lovely. it can be made with any natural sugar & fresh fruit of your choice! 

coconut whip:

3/4 c firm coconut cream (from the top of a can of full fat coconut milk set in the fridge overnight, or make your own)

1/2 t vanilla extract or a pinch of vanilla bean powder

2-3 T sweetener of choice (I prefer raw honey or a few drops of stevia until it is barely sweet)

1 T melted coconut butter*

-add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and use an electric hand whisk to whip up until light and fluffy. set in fridge for 10 minutes before serving. 

granita:

1 large cantaloupe, cubed

10 leaves fresh basil

juice of 2 limes

2/3 c coconut sugar, raw honey, pure maple etc... 

-roughly chop basil leaves. add to a sauce pan the lime juice & sweetener + 1 T water. bring to a simmer while stirring until sugar is dissolved (about 2 minutes). remove from heat & stir in basil leaves. cover & steep for 20 minutes. once finished, strain out the leaves & add 1/2 of the cantaloupe to your blender along with the infused syrup. pulse a few times and then purée mixture completely. add in the rest of the melon & purée. pour mixture into a 9x13" glass dish, cover with plastic wrap and set in freezer for 1&1/2 hrs. check the granita, when it starts to freeze around the edges, stir with a fork. repeating this process every 45 or so minutes until it all turns icy. 

-sugar the rims of 8 small glasses by running a lemon, cut in half along the edge and dunking the rim of the glass in fine sugar (I used lakanto here, coconut works too!). spoon granita into each glass, top with a dollop of coconut whip & serve immediately.