Frozen Yogurt Granita with Fresh Mango Sauce

I’m SOOOOOO that girl who stares longingly at incredible ice cream dishes on blogs, vowing constantly to head to the store and buy an ice cream maker.

 

And then I never do.

I like to think that ice cream is kind of a legacy in my family – my Grandma and Papa love it, my dad loves it, and my Grandpa could eat bowl after bowl after bowl.  And yet I can’t ever seem to get it together, buy an ice cream maker and make gobs of the stuff on my own.

 

Nate always says that an ice cream maker is the last thing we need; but I have to disagree.  I just think it gets a bad rap for being “bad for you,” but I say it’s actually health food.  Anything that makes you THAT happy to eat just can’t be bad for you.

 

If it makes you smile then it’s good for you.  Done and done.

BUT like I said, I can’t seem to get it together long enough to actually purchase an ice cream maker and make my own health food at home.  And, unlike the rest of the world, I’m a little late to the granita party.  See, granitas are kind of like delicious ice cream wannabes that you can make with just a few ingredients, a pan and a fork.  Count me in!

 

This is a great lightened up version with a fresh fruit topping that doesn’t require any extra sugar.  Not that sugar’s all that bad…it makes you happy, right?  Health food.

FROZEN YOGURT GRANITA WITH FRESH MANGO SAUCE

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (you can certainly use non-fat, but realize that the less fat the more icy the granita will be.  Still delicious though!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 very ripe mangos
• 2-3 Tbsp orange juice

In a saucepan bring the water and sugar to boil.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved; let cool for about 10 minutes.  Whisk together the Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup of the simple syrup, and the vanilla.  Take a quick taste – if you want it sweeter then add a bit more simple syrup.  If not, just pour the extra syrup into a container and save for later!

 

Pour the yogurt mixture into a glass baking pan, and place in the freezer.  Every 20 minutes use a fork to scrape the yogurt mixture until all of the liquid is frozen.  Before you’re ready to serve let the granita sit out for 2-3 minutes.  Scrape the granita into bowls to serve and top with fresh mango sauce.

 

For the mango sauce, peel and dice the mango.  Add the mango flesh and 1 Tbsp of orange juice to a food processor or blender and process/blend until completely smooth.  Be careful how much orange juice you add at first; you want the sauce to still be thick and not runny – we’re just using the orange juice to get the blender/processor moving!

It’s kind of a lightened-up sundae; not just because it’s lighter but because it makes you smile!