Ingredients
1
1/4 cups sugar, divided
1
cup small strawberries, hulled (about 6 ounces)
3/4
cup fresh pink or ruby grapefruit juice
2
1/4 cups chilled brut Champagne
1
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
18
whole small strawberries
Directions
1.
Stir 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in large saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cool. Puree 1 cup strawberries in processor. Whisk 1/2 cup puree into sugar syrup. Mix in grapefruit juice, then Champagne. Pour mixture into 8-inch square metal baking pan. Freeze mixture until firm, stirring every 2 hours, about 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
2.
Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar and lemon peel in pie plate. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mascarpone around pointed tip half of each whole strawberry. Dip in lemon sugar to coat mascarpone.
3.
Moisten rims of 6 Martini glasses with water; dip rims into remaining lemon sugar. Scrape fork across surface of granita to form ice shavings. Mound granita in glasses. Garnish with sugared berries and serve immediately.
4.
*Available at Italian markets and some supermarkets.
5.
Test-kitchen tip: To coat Martini glass rims with sugar, barely moisten fingertips and run around edge of each glass, then dip rims into sugar mixture. Keep the coated glasses in the freezer for up to two days before serving the granita.
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