THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019
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L'Italo-Americano
A perfect Sicilian breakfast coffee granita and a "brioche con il tuppo."© Sverni | Dreamstime.com
LA BUONA TAVOLA
RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES
FRANK FARIELLO
Continued to page 28
Granita al caffè: refreshing Summer treat!
G
ranita is a delicious
treat typical of the
Italian Summer.
Most
commonly
made with coffee or
lemon juice, it is a kind of rustic
sorbetto, easy to make at home—
no ice cream maker is needed—
and
has a coarser, more crystalline
texture.
Ingredients
• 6 shots of strong espresso
• Simple syrup, to taste
Directions
First, find yourself a flat-bot-
tomed container that can go into
the freezer. Most traditional
recipes call for using an ice cube
tray—but that was back in the
days when ice cube trays were all
made of stainless steel with re-
movable dividers. Nowadays, a
metal loaf pan will do the trick.
Now, make some very strong
espresso coffee. If you are using
an espresso machine, you can sim-
ply brew your coffee directly into
the loaf pan.
Make a few shots, at least one
per person. Then mix in simple
sugar syrup to taste—I usually just
add a bit at a time, tasting until I
reach the desired degree of sweet-
ness. Personally, I like my granita
(as I like my coffee) semi-sweet,
but you will need at least some
sugar syrup, not just for taste but
also because it produces a
smoother, softer texture than plain
coffee: it would simply turn to
dark colored ice if frozen by itself.
Let the coffee and syrup mix-
ture cool completely, then place
it in the freezer.
After about 30-45 minutes,
check on the granita. Depending
on how much you are making,
there may be little or no change
the first time you check, but if you
see bits of frozen crust forming,
stir the mixture with a wooden
spoon or spatula. Check in about
30 minutes later: time to stir again!
Continue stirring the mixture
every 30 minutes or so, until the
granita has formed a kind of
"slush."
You want the mixture to be
fairly soft but not liquid. It will
have a granular texture—that is
not a defect but, as mentioned
above, a desired characteristic that
sets granita apart from sorbetto.
Total freezing time will de-
pend on how much you are mak-
ing and the size of the container;
the deeper the liquid, the longer it
will take for it to freeze. Count on
about 1-1/2 to 2 hours if you are
making more than one or two
If you want to indulge, add a dollop of whipped cream to your granita
