When it comes to coffee and staying cool, no one is more innovative than the Italians. With a thriving, ancient coffee culture and incredibly hot summers, Italy has many answers to the question of how to get your caffeine without overheating. One such answer is the Sicilian “coffee granita,” a sweet, coffee-flavored crunchy-but-slushie treat modeled after the more classic fruit granitas Italy is especially known for. It’s often served for breakfast along with a brioche bun. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients:
For 3 servings, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of strong, fresh hot coffee (brewed in a moka pot for maximum authenticity)
- 7-10 ice cubes
- 1/4 cup brown or Demerara sugar
- A splash of vanilla
- Whipped cream or mascarpone
- Chocolate shavings
Instructions:
- Start by pouring your hot coffee into a freezer-safe flat-bottomed container.
- Then mix in your sugar and vanilla until dissolved in the hot coffee.
- Next, cool down the coffee by dissolving ice into it. Remember that this will water down the coffee, so taste in between ice cubes until the coffee is cooled and slightly stronger than you’d normally drink.
- Now cover the container and put the coffee in the freezer.
- Check on it every half hour for about 1 1/2-2 hours, each time mashing it and breaking up the ice crystals using a fork. Make sure that includes scraping the ice that forms on the sides!
- Once the granita looks like a bunch of small clumps of ice, put it back in the freezer for 20 minutes to solidify the small crystals.
- Serve by adding one or two scoops to a cup or serving glass, and topping with whipped cream or mascarpone. Top with chocolate shavings and enjoy!
- The granita can be made a day in advance—if doing so, you’ll need to take it out of the freezer a little before serving and break up the crystals again for the right consistency.
