Coffee Machine

COFFEE GRANITA

Beverages

Serve this icy coffee granita as a sweet caffeinated dessert or as a cooling and refreshing antidote to summer afternoon heat. It looks and tastes refined – but is unfussy and simple to make at home.

Servings 4
Preparation
Cooking

Ingredients

2 cups strong brewed coffee
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Whipped cream, as topping

Directions

Put the coffee in a small pot and turn the heat to medium low.
When the coffee is hot, whisk in the sugar and keep on whisking until it fully dissolves.
Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon juice. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and place it in the freezer, uncovered.
After 45 minutes, take the dish out and stir with a fork. Return the dish to the freezer and repeat this step every 30 to 45 minutes. The granita is ready when it looks like firm and flaky crystals, a bit firmer than a slushie.
Serve with whipped cream on top.

Tip: Add 1 teaspoon instant coffee or ground espresso for a stronger coffee taste

A REFRESHING ITALIAN COFFEE DESSERT YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME

Coffee and dessert make the best ending to a good meal. But when you combine the two into a sweet treat that can act as a standalone dessert, or pull double duty on a sweltering summer day, you’re on to something big. A granita has an icy texture, firmer than a slushie, but less set than a sorbet. The secret to the perfect texture is stirring the sweetened coffee mixture at regular intervals during the freezing process. And we’ve found that the key to the best balance of Italian flavor is to add a squeeze of lemon juice, which provides a bright note to the otherwise rich coffee.

HOW TO MAKE A COFFEE GRANITA

Mix the hot coffee with sugar and lemon juice. Once the sugar has dissolved, let the mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass baking dish and pop it in the freezer. Stir the mixture with a fork at 30-45 minute intervals until the mixture has firm yet flaky crystals throughout.

EXPERT TIPS AND VARIATIONS

Be sure to stir at regular intervals with a fork. Without stirring, this granita can easily become a huge sweetened coffee ice cube. The perfect texture splits the difference between a sorbet and a slushie.

Play with the sweetness. Dial back the sugar – or add more to suit your palate. Test the sweetness while the coffee mixture is hot, before putting the granita in the freezer.

Make it stronger. You can add a little instant coffee to the brewed coffee and sugar for a more coffee forward flavor in the granita. This trick works whether you’re using drip coffee – or siphon c offee. Alternatively, you can use espresso instead of drip coffee.

Use a different citrus. Lemon juice is by far our favorite when making a coffee granita – but we tested this recipe with a teaspoon of pure yuzu juice (Japanese citrus) and it was amazing too!

Products used in this recipe

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