Espresso Granita
Coffee is traditionally served at the end of a meal. Be it espresso, latte or cappuccino, a coffee based drink is often served for the meals conclusion.
But if you are looking to incorporate coffee into some different parts of your menu and think tiramisu has bee overplayed, then we have a fantastic coffee course for you to serve up for dessert – an Espresso Granita.
It is a fantastic option, really easy to make and will really wow your guests.
A granita refers to a semi-frozen sweet, made from sugar, water and other various flavours.
The dish originated in Sicily and has taken on a malleable recipe as it has spread from city to city, with texture, ingredients and methods all alternating depending on where you order.
But make sure you keep the servings small (or make ‘weak’ coffee), otherwise the caffeine may just give you too much of a kick!
With espresso as the main ingredient (or base) this is one strong little dish.
Ingredients (serves 8)
- Four shots of espresso, topped up with hot water to make around 750ml of coffee
- 100g Demerara sugar
- Whipped cream
- Flavourings – we recommend vanilla extract, though the choice is yours!
- Chocolate shavings – try a dark chocolate or orange milk chocolate
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar into the hot coffee until it is dissolved
- Add the flavourings, and give a good stir.
- Allow to cool before pouring the mixture into a dish, and freeze.
- After an hour or so, stir the contents with a fork in order to break up the crystal formations and return the dish. Repeat this process a further two times – ensure the mix is in evenly sized crystals.
- Remove from the freezer and stir once more and then serve topped with some whipped cream and the chocolate shavings.
Note: the texture of the granita can vary depending on how often it is stirred. The more times it is broken up then the smoother it will be.
This is the perfect dish to make ahead of time, and as long as you cover tightly with foil before freezing will last for around 3 days. Just give the dessert a quick scrape before serving.
Enjoy!
[photo: Michael Phams, Flickr – Creative Commons]