Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups hot, very strong, brewed coffee (a dark roast made at double strength or espresso is best)
- 1 cup sugar
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
Preparation:
1. Dissolve sugar in hot coffee and cool to room temperature. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan and place in the freezer.
2. Every 30 minutes, stir the mixture with a whisk, scraping the sides, and return to freezer. When mixture is about 80 to 90 percent frozen, use a fork instead of the whisk.
3. Use a fork to stir the granita again just before serving. This produces mounds of loose crystals.
4. Serve topped with whipped cream.
The ultimate texture is up to you and how often and thoroughly you stir. I think the best granita has the mouth-feel of snow - as though flakes of coffee have formed high in the heavens and then drifted to earth. Whatever the texture, chill the serving bowls or glasses in the refrigerator to avoid having the granita melt too quickly.
You can find a tutorial on freezing granitas here.