I LOVE Coffee….. although once apon a time I would only drink tea. The first time I had a good Italian coffee was the first time I visited Florence where my sister Lisa was living at the time, over 20 years ago. We were at the beautiful Cafe Rivoire in Piazza Signoria and Lisa ordered a ‘Caffè Freddo Shakerato’ (iced coffee with no milk). It arrived in a fancy cocktail glass and it just looked too gorgeous not to taste! Thus was born my love of coffee, and although I love coffee in all it’s forms, the cold versions are always a favourite from Spring through to Autumn. SO, let’s talk about Granita di Caffè! Although usually enjoyed during the hot summer months, this refreshing granita can be enjoyed year round and is so easy to make at home. You don’t need a fancy ice-cream maker, although an Italian moka like the famous Bialetti ones will help. Traditionally from Messina in Sicily, Granita di Caffè is enjoyed at breakfast time in Sicily during the hot summer, although is also enjoyed as a light dessert after lunch or dinner, or just for the perfect ‘pick-me-up’ when you need an injection of caffeine. So if you can’t get to Sicily during the summer, then bring Sicily into your kitchen and I promise you’ll be singing ‘That’s Amore’, as you enjoy this simple yet decadent way to enjoy a coffee!
Granita di Caffè
- 500ml brewed espresso coffee
- 50g sugar
- 125ml cream, whipped and lightly sweetened with 1 teaspoon of icing sugar.
- Make the coffee, and stir in sugar while coffee is still boiling hot to ensure sugar dissolves.
- Pour coffee into a freezer-proof bowl, and set aside to allow to cool to room temperature.
- Place in freezer. Stir with a spoon or fork every 20min to give your granita a ‘granular’ texture.
- Serve in glasses with sweetened whipped cream. I like to put the cream in the bottom of the glass, and the granita di caffè on top, but you can also use a piping bag to pipe some cream on top for a more decorative look if you like. If serving this as a dessert, garnish with a couple of dark chocolate covered coffee beans!
Granita di Caffè
- 500ml caffè
- 50g zucchero
- 125ml panna fresca
- 1 cuchianino (o q.b.) di zucchero a velo
- Per preparare la granita al caffè, iniziate facendo il caffè e mescolare lo zucchero mentre il caffè è ancora bollente per garantire lo zucchero si scioglie.
- Versate il caffè in un contenitore, e mettere da parte per lasciare raffreddare a temperatura ambiente.
- Mettete in freezer e dopo un ora, togliete il composto dal freezer, mescolatelo con un cucchiaio o una forchetta per dare al vostro granita una consistenza ‘granulare’. Poi rimettetelo nel freezer, e ripetete lo stesso procedimento ogni 30 minuti, fin quando la granita non sarà pronta. (Ci vorranno circa 5 ore).
- Nel frattempo, montate la panna fresca liquida con lo sbattitore elettrico aggiungendo un cucchiaino di zucchero a velo.
- Servire la vostra granita in bicchieri con la panna montata. Mi piace mettere la panna sul fondo del bicchiere, e la granita di caffè in cima, ma è anche possibile utilizzare un sac a poche per mettere un po’ di panna sulla parte superiore per un aspetto più decorativo, se volete. Guarnire con un chicco di caffè coperto di cioccolato fondente!
