Tagettes, Thyme and Pear Granite

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation time is 10 minutes
Cooling time is 25 minutes
Freezing time is overnight

Ingredients

1. 250 millilitres of water (1 cup)
2. 250 millilitres of sugar (1 cup)
3. 18 –24 tagettes (small orange coloured, flavourful, zesty, beautiful tasting edible flowers)
4. 3 peeled Bartlett pears
5. 4-6 sprigs of thyme
6. 15 millilitres of orange zest (1 tablespoon)
7. 10 millilitres of orange water (2 teaspoons)

Directions

1. Put the sugar, the thyme and the water into a double boiler and cook over a medium heat to create a light syrup. Add the peeled pears and poach until very soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the burner and let it cool. Once cooled, remove the pears and purée them in the food processor. Pour the purée into a bowl and add the orange water, orange zest and the tagettes. Pour the liquid into a metal container and freeze, mixing the granité occasionally to create a soft consistency that is icy and also crunchy.
3. Serve with a sprig of thyme, a tagette and a ball of raw pear.