Watermelon Hibiscus Strawberry Lychee Slush Cooler with White Chocolate Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Gather everything before you start blending, because the slush must be served while it is still cold and icy. Chill the watermelon, strawberries and lychees for at least 15 minutes so the blended drink starts colder. Place the block of white chocolate in the refrigerator to firm up, and put the mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for a few minutes.

Set out the wooden cutting board, the chef's knife, the box grater, the blender jar and the crystal glasses. Wash the strawberries and the lime, hull the berries, peel the lychees and cut the watermelon into wedges so the dicing goes quickly. Have the ice measured and ready near the blender. A clean, organised station makes the drink easy to finish in one smooth run.

Instructions

Prepare the fruit and garnish

1. 1Prepare the fruit
   Cut the watermelon into wedges, then dice the flesh with a chef's knife on a wooden cutting board. Hull the strawberries, peel the lychees, and juice the lime. Keep the fruit cold until blending.
   Look for Watermelon cubes are bright pink and evenly sized, with no seeds left.
   Tip Chilling the fruit for 15 minutes before blending gives a colder, thicker slush.
2. 2Grate the white chocolate
   Hold the cold block of white chocolate against the fine side of a box grater and grate it over a small plate. Set the fine curls and shavings aside for the garnish.
   Look for Fine, delicate curls fall onto the plate without clumping.
   Tip Keep the chocolate chilled so it grates into curls rather than smearing.

At the end of this phase the watermelon is diced into even pieces, the strawberries are hulled, the lychees are peeled and the lime is juiced. The white chocolate is grated into fine, delicate curls that fall apart easily and sit in a small dish. Everything looks clean and cold.

Before moving on, check that no watermelon seeds or lychee pits remain in the fruit, and that the chocolate shavings are set aside on a chilled plate so they stay crisp until serving. Keep the fruit covered and cool until the blender is ready, because warm fruit melts the ice too quickly and thins the finished slush.

Blend and whip the toppings

3. 3Blend the slush
   Add the diced watermelon, strawberries, lychees, lime juice and ice to the blender jar. Blend until smooth and bright pink, stopping once to scrape down the sides, leaving some ice texture for a slushy finish.
   Look for The mixture turns vivid pink and looks thick and slushy, with small ice flecks visible.
   Tip Pulse first to break up the ice, then blend on high for a smooth result.
4. 4Whip the cream
   Whisk the heavy cream in a chilled bowl until it holds soft peaks. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, ready for the garnish.
   Look for The cream holds soft peaks that curl over when the whisk is lifted.
   Tip A chilled bowl and cold cream whip faster and hold their shape longer.

At the end of this phase the blender jar holds a smooth, vivid pink slush with small ice flecks still visible, and the whipped cream holds soft peaks in the bowl. The slush should look thick enough to pour slowly and should not be watery. Check the texture by lifting a spoonful: it should hold its shape briefly before melting. Check the cream by lifting the whisk; the peaks should curl over gently. Transfer the cream to the piping bag with a star tip and keep it cold until the glasses are ready to top.

Pour, pipe and serve

5. 5Pour and top the cooler
   Pour the pink slush into crystal glasses. Pipe the whipped cream on top in a thick, creamy swirl, then scatter the grated white chocolate shavings over the cream.
   Look for The pink slush is topped with a thick white swirl and fine chocolate shavings.
   Tip Serve immediately so the slush stays frosty and the cream stays firm.

At the end of this phase each crystal glass holds a deep pink slush, topped with a thick, creamy white swirl of whipped cream and a light scatter of grated white chocolate shavings. The cream should look firm and glossy, not soft or slumped, and the chocolate should sit on top rather than sink. Check that the glasses are chilled and that the slush has not begun to melt into a liquid. Serve immediately with a spoon and straw, while the texture is still icy and the layers are distinct and attractive on the table.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is blending too long, which melts the ice and turns the slush into a thin, watery drink with no texture. Blend in short bursts and stop as soon as the color is uniform and small ice pieces remain. Another frequent problem is using warm fruit, which makes the drink lose its chill before it reaches the glass.

Chill the fruit ahead and keep the blender jar cold. Whipped cream that is too soft will slump on top of the slush, so whip it only until it holds soft peaks and keep it in the refrigerator until piping. Finally, do not grate the white chocolate while it is warm, because it smears into a paste instead of forming fine curls for the garnish.

How to tell it’s done

The slush is ready when it is bright pink, thick and smooth, with tiny ice flecks still visible throughout. It should pour slowly and hold its shape for a moment on a spoon. Taste it once before pouring: it should be sweet, fruity and lightly tart from the lime, with no grittiness from the ice.

The whipped cream is ready when it holds soft peaks that keep their form as you pipe them. The white chocolate is ready when it is grated into fine, delicate curls and shavings. The finished glass should show a clear pink base, a firm white swirl and a delicate garnish on top. Serve it right away while the texture is still icy and the cream is firm.