Granita di Caffe

From The Washington Post, January 10, 2007

12 to 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee, brewed with 6 tablespoons ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped (for the topping)

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of the water with the sugar and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, until chilled. Add the brewed coffee, vanilla extract and the remaining 1 cup water, stirring to combine. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch metal pan or freezer-proof container. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours, stirring and scraping the mixture every 30 to 40 minutes (at first with a fork and later with a spatula) to achieve a grainy consistency. To serve, divide among chilled bowls or glasses and top each serving with a small dollop of lightly whipped cream.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from "The Joy of Coffee" by Corby Kummer (Houghton Mifflin, revised 1997).

RESULTS: Very refreshing! I thought I'd mix it up a little. I put just the smallest amount of cream in the coffee mixture before it went in the freezer to make it a little richer. I don't know if I'd do that again, frozen cream isn't really the same texture as ice cream, it's sort of sticky. But it turned out ok. And, it turns out you can make granitas from all kinds of sweet liquids, as long as you break up the ice as it freezes so it doesn't turn into an ice cube.