After a cool spring, and a relatively mild June so far, St. Louis reached the mid-90s this week, and it's warm again this weekend. It's definitely summer now, and this heat is exactly the kind of weather that calls for a granita.
I made Espresso Granita when I went to visit my family late last month. Alex doesn't drink coffee, and I thought a full batch of granita would be a bit much for me to eat alone. Besides, caffeine keeps me up at night if I have any during the day. Vacation was the ideal time to make it, since I'd have help eating it, no need to go to bed early, and warm Texas weather to make the dessert refreshing. Besides, the recipe is incredibly easy.
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This recipe for Espresso Granita is adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop (affiliate link), which is my favorite ice cream book; everything I've made from it has been wonderful.
This was pretty good. It was sweet but not too sweet. When frozen, the coffee really lightened up in color and taste. I was glad I used a dark Italian roast coffee for this because a lighter roast might make it taste watered down. It was like having coffee ice cream, but much more refreshing since it wasn't heavy with milk or cream. This is a great recipe to make on a hot day, or to serve as a refreshing end to a hearty meal.
Want other espresso desserts? Try Espresso Biscotti, Chocolate Espresso Tiramisu, Espresso Brownies, or Espresso-Chocolate Chip Shortbread.
📖 Recipe
- 4 cups espresso or very high-quality brewed coffee (I accidentally only brewed 3 ¾ cups)
- 1 ½ cups sugar
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Mix warm coffee with sugar until sugar is dissolved. Chill, then pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Freeze for an hour, then scrape the mixture. Freeze again, then scrape every 30 minutes, stirring up the mixture so you have small ice crystals. Serve in glasses or bowls, and top with sweetened whipped cream if desired. The recipe should yield 4 hefty servings, but can serve more.
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