Summer’s heat is kindled. It’s definitely time to switch over to the chill side of the menu. In between sipping on frothy iced lattes, we plan to be lounging poolside with a cup of this addictive coffee granita.
If you’ve never made granita before, this is a great starter technique to try with your favorite Kahwa coffee at home. So simple, but elegant enough for any dinner party, this cooling and invigorating three-ingredient recipe can be tweaked to your specific taste. Make it dairy-free with a coconut cream topping, elevate it with liqueurs or citrus zest, spike it with bourbon … you get the idea.
Start with 2 cups of very strong brewed coffee, still warm. We like bold blends, such as our Mistral or Cubano varieties, which impart a deeper coffee flavor into the finished recipe. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar, or trim back to 1/3 cup if you don’t usually take your coffee sweet. We prefer using raw cane sugar, instead of the processed white crystals.
When your sugar is dissolved, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Organic vanilla is best, but if you don’t have that, at least make sure the label says “pure,” signifying that the flavoring is additive-free.
Pour your blended coffee mixture into a 1-quart metal baking pan and freeze for 2 to 4 hours. Stir with a fork every half hour, scraping down ice crystals that form on the pan sides and bottom.
When it’s thoroughly frozen, transfer this mixture to a bowl and stir roughly with your fork for half a minute, until the texture is smoother and more uniform. Place it back in the freezer, and in about 30 more minutes you’ll be ready to scoop.
Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, and maybe add some toasted nuts or chocolate shavings, if that’s your thing. It’s best to enjoy granita the day you make it, but it can be frozen one day in advance if necessary. Either way, you’ll be serving up melt-in-your-mouth coffee delights in no time.
