I know all of you are probably busy in your kitchens this week preparing beautiful feasts for your friends and family. So I thought I would help you out by recommending a simple, no fuss dessert for your menu: coffee granita.
Granitas are a simple, semi-frozen Italian dessert consisting of sweetened, flavored liquid. They have a coarse, crystalline texture and an airier density than other frozen treats. If you happen to have an ice cream maker, then you can achieve a creamier texture by making your granita in the machine. I don’t have an ice cream maker, so my instructions will show you how to make the granita by hand.
For 6 servings, combine:
- 2 cups strong brewed coffee, made from high quality coffee or espresso beans
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange, blood orange, or tangerine juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- Spread the liquid in a baking pan – a 9 x13 pyrex baking dish is ideal for this. DO NOT use a non-stick dish. Place the pan in the freezer and let sit until liquid begins to crystallize, typically about 30 or 40 minutes.
- Once liquid begins crystallizing, use a fork to scrape the pan and break up the crystals. You want to homogenize the mixture, evenly mixing the frozen edges with the unfrozen liquid.
- Replace pan in the freezer for another 20 or 30 minutes. Scrape again with fork, breaking apart the crystals. Repeat this process for about another hour, or until the contents of your pan resemble frozen coffee gravel.
- Fluff mixture with a fork before spooning into stemmed glasses to serve.
Optional, to be added to your frozen granita when serving:
- Few dashes coffee liqueur, like Patron XO or Baileys
- Drizzle of chocolate or caramel syrup
- Few dashes sweetened milk or cream
- Spoonful of sweetened whipped cream, my personal favorite
- Biscuit cookies of your choice, particularly nice to crumble them up and place at the bottom of your serving dish to absorb the granita as it melts
- A sweet roll, like brioche, would be very European of you
You can use the above proportions to make any flavor combination. In the summer, I’m particularly fond of combining sweetened hibiscus tea with lime juice. Any fruit pureed with a bit of water is also delicious. And I’m not ashamed to serve nearly any imaginable flavor with a dollop of whipped cream. It makes for a really delightful, creamy texture that reminds me of creamsicles.
Whether you granita this week or not, I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving :-)
