This recipe for coffee granita comes to us from Domenica Marchetti. We love her recipes because they are straightforward, balanced, and genuinely delicious.
On these lazy, boiling hot days, Granita al Caffè is precisely what we’re craving. As Domenica writes, this simple yet astonishing drink has it all: “bitter, sweet, cold black coffee + soft clouds of unsweetened cream. Has there ever been a more perfect union?”
No, probably not!
Ingredients
SERVES: 4-6 people
TIME: 3 hours (active time: 30 minutes)
- Moka brewed Giamaica coffee, 475ml / 2 cups
- White sugar, 10 Tbsp
- Heavy whipping cream, 180ml / 3/4 cup
- Candied lemon peels, optional, for garnish
Preparation
- Place a 9” aluminum cake pan (or similar) in the freezer.
- Brew 2 cups of coffee in your Moka pot (you’ll need about 60 grams of ground coffee).
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the hot coffee with the sugar until it dissolves. Let the coffee cool to room temperature.
- Pour the coffee into the cold aluminum pan, then return it to the freezer and set a timer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, use a fork to scrape the crystals that have formed around the edges of the pan, crushing them to break up any large clumps.
- Continue freezing and scraping in 30-minute intervals until you achieve a uniform, crunchy texture (3-5 more rounds). Store the finished granita in a lidded container in the freezer.
- 30 minutes before serving, place a metal mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer to chill. When you’re ready to serve, remove the granita from the freezer to allow it to soften. Whip the cream in the cold bowl until it forms medium stiff peaks.
- To serve, spoon a few tablespoons of cream into each serving glass, followed by about 1/2 cup of granita, and then more whipped cream. Garnish with a few slivers of candied lemon peels and serve immediately.
