Homemade Healthier Shaved Ice

Heya,

When I was 10, I went to Florida Keys with my family. Despite being slightly upset that a Disney World trip wasn't included, this was one of my favourite holidays, and provided a much needed sunny break to the cold UK winter. Although it was a while back I still have rather vivid memories of some of the places, beaches and of course amazing food and restaurants. The highlight was actually the cinnamon rolls we had for breakfast each morning (They will appear in a later post!) However, I also enjoyed lots of Floridian, or just generally beachy, food including lots of fresh fish but also shaved ice! Shaved ice was a new concept for me as although I had tried Granita in Italy shaved ice, to me tasted different. Essentially the delightful treat is just ice and chemical flavouring however something about it really stands out for me. In Florida they had a whole range of fruity flavours my favourite being cherry, lemon or possibly even simple strawberry however when recently in Dubai, after rediscovering my love for sweet thing, I adored the birthday cake flavoured shaved ice in the water park! I was interested to know how to make shaved ice as it is not something I have come across in the UK yet something I love and associate so many happy memories with and discovered it was relatively simple to make. However, I wanted to give it my own "Lottie twist" by using a more natural flavouring method. The recipe is super duper easy and has lots of room for experimenting with individual flavours as well as flavour combinations. It is the perfect recipe for a hot summers day like today. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Here is my recipe for Homemade Healthier Shaved Ice:

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

• 200g Ice, preferably in small chunks rather than 1 large block
• 75ml Juice of choice (I find concentrated ones work better than dilute for example a strong apple juice)

Method:

1. Boil the juice on a medium heat for around 10 minutes or until bubbling occurs- essentially the excess water needs to be removed in order to make a thicker sticker mixture!
2. Pour the juice into a squeezy bottle (A water bottle will work fine!) and leave to cool
3. In a VERY strong blender, (I use a vitamix), Blend your ice until a fine icy powder formed- this may take a while and may require you to crush it down
4. Scoop the ice into your serving dishes of choice then squeeze the juice mixture on top
5. Enjoy!!

Comment below if you have made this bake or have any questions!
Lottie X