Scarlett WCoffee Granita
January 15th 2007 13:55
Coffee Granita
About Granita
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and flavourings from Sicily, Italy. Related to sorbet and Italian ice, in most of Sicily it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten says that “the desired texture seems to vary from city to city” on the island; on the west coast and in Palermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east it is nearly as smooth as sorbet. This is largely the result of different freezing techniques; the smoother types are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystal.
Granita with coffee is very common in the city of Messina, while granita with almonds is popular in the city of Catania. Granita in combination with a yeast pastry called brioche is a common breakfast in summer time.
The coffee version is perhaps the most popular and is often served with a spoonful of whipped cream on top.
INGREDIENTS
350 ml / 1½ cups hot strong espresso coffee
30 ml / 2 tablespoons sugar
250 ml / 1 cup double cream
10 ml / 2 teaspoons caster sugar
1. Stir the sugar into the hot coffee until dissolved. Leave to cool, then chill. Pour into a shallow plastic or metal freezer container, cover and freeze for about 1 hour.
2. The coffee should have formed a frozen crust around the rim of the container. Scrap this away with a spoon and mix with the rest of the coffee. Repeat this process every 30 minutes, using the spoon to break up the clumps of ice.
3. After about 2½ hours, the granite should be ready. It will have the appearance of small, fairly uniform ice crystals. Whip the cream with the caster sugar until stiff.
4. To serve, serve the granite in tall glasses, each topped with a spoonful of cream.
**From “A Taste of the Mediterranean” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” **
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