Ingredients

• Granita:
• 2/3 cup water
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 leaves fresh mint
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 10 cups cubed seeded watermelon
• Lemon Cream:
• 8 ounces labneh (thick Middle Eastern-style yogurt)
• 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 3 tablespoons water, or as needed

Instructions

1. Combine water, sugar, vanilla extract, and fresh mint in a heavy bottomed saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat; mix in lime juice and salt.
2. Place watermelon in batches in a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a large bowl, using a spoon to press out as much juice as possible; stir in sugar mixture.
3. Pour watermelon mixture into a 10x14-inch glass pan. Freeze, scraping the surface every 30 minutes with a fork until ice crystals form throughout, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Mix labneh, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Whisk in water 1 teaspoon at a time until consistency is light and creamy. Top granita with cream.