Coffee granita

History

Granita is a typical Sicilian dessert that has its roots in a mixture of cultural influences that arrived on the island over the centuries. Its history can be traced back to ancient Rome, when ice was brought from the mountains and stored in special underground caves called “neviere”. This ice was then crushed and served with honey and fruit juice as a refreshing delicacy.

During the time of Arab dominance, starting in the eighth century, granita took the form closest to the one we know today. The Arabs introduced the technique of crushing the ice with sugar and fruit juices, thus creating an extremely popular drink during periods of intense heat.

Later, with the arrival of Spanish rule in Sicily, granita underwent further changes. The Spaniards introduced the use of flavours such as lemon, orange and apricot, as well as experimenting with the addition of milk and cream in the preparation of granita.

Granita has existed for centuries, remaining a much beloved sweet summer delicacy, and has become a symbol of Sicilian culinary art. Today it is possible to find a wide range of flavours and variations of granita, but coffee remains one of the most popular.

Ingredients

500 ml espresso coffee (corresponds to approximately 10 small cups of coffee)

150 g sugar

250 ml water

The juice of half a lemon (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the coffee: Prepare 500 ml of espresso coffee, i.e. 10 small cups. You can use one of our machines to make good quality coffee.

Dissolve the Sugar: Pour the water and sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat it over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved, thus making a simple syrup. Once dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

Mix the coffee and syrup: Pour the freshly brewed coffee into the pot with the simple syrup. Stir well to ensure the coffee mixes evenly into the syrup.

Add the lemon juice (optional): if you want a touch of acidity in your granita, you can add the juice of half a lemon to the mixture. This will give a slightly fresh flavour to the granita. Mix well.

Cool the mixture: Pour the coffee mixture into a shallow pan and place it in the freezer. Leave to cool for about an hour.

Stir every 30 minutes – after an hour, check the mixture in the freezer. It will start to form ice crystals around the edges. Use a fork to break up the ice crystals and mix the mixture up well. This will help to achieve the desired granita texture.

Freeze until solidified: repeat the operation of mixing the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes for about 3-4 hours, until the granita has reached a granular and frozen consistency.

Serve: once the desired consistency has been reached, your coffee granita is ready to be served. Use a spoon to scrape the granita into bowls or glasses and garnish with a mint leaf or lemon zest if desired.

Your fresh and tasty coffee granita is ready to be enjoyed! You can serve it as a dessert or as a refreshment on hot summer days.