Experience the essence of summer with these strawberry pudding and lemonade granita parfaits. Enjoy layers of fresh strawberry pudding crowned with effervescent frozen lemonade. The creamy pudding perfectly complements the zesty granita, offering a refreshing delight ideal for hot days!
½cupstrawberry pureeapproximately 1 cup of strawberries
⅔cupmilk, any kind
1 ½tablespoonsgranulated sugar
½tablespoonunsalted butter
¼teaspoonvanilla extract
Lemonade Granita
1cuplemonade
1cupsparkling water
zest of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
Strawberry Pudding
Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor. I recommend fresh strawberries if in season, otherwise frozen strawberries will work. Approximately 1 cup of strawberries will yield a 1/2 cup of puree.
In a small mixing bowl, add the egg yolk, cornstarch, and the strawberry puree. Stir together until the cornstarch is dissolved.
1 large egg yolk, 1 ¼ teaspoons cornstarch, ½ cup strawberry puree
In a small saucepan, add milk and sugar. Heat over medium heat until small bubbles start to form along the sides of the pan. Do not boil.
⅔ cup milk, any kind, 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
Temper the egg yolk - While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle about half of the heated milk into the strawberry/cornstarch mix. Then transfer the tempered strawberry mix back to the saucepan.
Continue to heat the pudding, over medium heat while whisking constantly, until the pudding starts to thicken and bubble. Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional - Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. This will remove any lumps or seeds from the pudding.
Transfer the pudding equally into your serving glasses. Cover with plastic wrap, with the wrap directly touching the pudding. This will keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the pudding to thicken even more.
Lemonade Granita
In a small shallow dish add the lemonade and sparkling water. Stir in the lemon zest. Cover tightly and freeze for 30 minutes.
1 cup lemonade, 1 cup sparkling water, zest of 1/2 a lemon
Remove the granita from the freezer. The edges and the top should have started to freeze. Scrape the mixture with a fork and freeze again. This creates the slushy granita texture. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for up to 4 hours. The granita is ready when it is completely frozen with a flaky texture.
When ready to serve - Fluff the granita one final time before serving. Using a small cookie scoop or fork, scoop the on top of the chilled pudding and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Chill and Freeze Overnight - The pudding can chill overnight, and the granita can freeze overnight. You can stop the scrape process after about 4 hours, and just scrape and fluff the granita before serving.
Strawberries - I always recommend fresh fruit if it is in season. Otherwise, frozen strawberries will work.
Lemonade - I used store-bought lemonade. But you could certainly use your own homemade version.
Sweeten to Taste - You may find diluting the lemonade with sparkling water reduces the sweetness. If so, sprinkle a little sugar into the liquid before freezing.
Enjoy Immediately - Since the granita is frozen, it will eventually melt. The dessert is best enjoyed right after it is assembled.