• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Crumb: A Food Blog logo

  • Home
  • About Crumb
    • About Isabelle
    • Press, Awards and Contributions
    • Privacy Policy
  • About the Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Crumb
  • About Isabelle
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » dessert » ice cream » Living the Sweet Life: Coffee Granita

    Living the Sweet Life: Coffee Granita

    Jul 24, 2015 · 7 Comments

    If there's anyone who knows how to life the good life, it's Italians. They are, after all, the ones who coined the whole philosophy of la dolce vita, the one smidge of Italian almost everyone knows, even if they don't speak a single word of actual Italian.

    Coffee Granita

    It turns out that Sicilians totally take the sweet life to a new level, though. Did you know they actually eat ice cream for breakfast?

    (Yes, I know we've all done it at least once in the comfort of our homes, but you have to admire a culture where it's actually acceptable to do it right in the open.)

    Coffee Granita

    Granted, most of the time we're actually talking about granita, sorbet's crunchier, icier, less-sweet cousin. Sometimes they're made with almonds, sometimes with fresh seasonal fruit... but my favourite is strong dark espresso. It's the perfect way to get going on a hot summer morning - it's really just your morning coffee in frozen form, after all.

    Coffee Granita

    This month, the Lavazza Passionistas are sharing our favourite Italian Summer Escapes, so a big bowl of coffee granita made with this month's featured coffee, the rich, dark and perfectly balanced Perfetto espresso blend.

    Perfetto is an especially perfect choice because coffee granita is traditionally made with espresso, but as far as I'm concerned, ain't nobody got time to pull that many shots of coffee when it's hot outside. Instead, I used a pot of fresh brewed double-strength coffee as my base, which I mixed with a little sugar and infused with a cinnamon stick.

    Coffee Granita

    Once the coffee had cooled to room temperature, all it needed was an afternoon in the freezer and an enthusiastic stir with a fork every half-hour until it had reached the perfect consistency, an airy mound of coarse, flaky ice crystals. It's about as easy (and lazy) as summertime desserts get.

    Coffee Granita

    Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate shavings, it was the perfect antidote to the muggy Toronto summer heat. Granted, my little backyard deck ain't got nothing on a charming Sicilian sidewalk cafe, but I'll happily settle for what I can get.

    //

    Disclaimer: I am being compensated for my participation in the Lavazza Passionista blogger program. All opinions, as always, are entirely my own.

    You can get more info on Lavazza products at https://www.lavazza-canada.ca/, or by following Lavazza on Facebook.

    //

    Coffee Granita
     
    Print
    Prep time
    4 hours
    Total time
    4 hours
     
    Get your summertime coffee fix like the Italians do with this super-easy frozen dessert. All you need is a fresh pot of coffee and a spot in your freezer... no ice cream maker required!
    Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb)
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Serves: 6
    Ingredients
    • 2 cups fresh brewed Lavazza Perfetto coffee, double-strength (see Note)
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • 1 stick cinnamon
    • Whipped cream, for serving
    Instructions
    1. In a shallow metal or tempered glass dish, combine the coffee and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the cinnamon stick and set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
    2. Once the coffee is cooled, discard the cinnamon stick. Transfer the dish to the freezer to chill.
    3. After 30 minutes, stir the mixture with a fork, breaking up any large ice crystals that may have formed. Repeat this process every half hour until the mixture is almost completely frozen, usually about 4 hours or so (though this will vary quite a bit depending on your freezer and the dish you’re using).
    4. Give the granita one last enthusiastic stir to break up any chunks of ice you may have missed.
    5. Cover and keep frozen until ready to serve. To serve, fluff up the granita with a fork, and spoon a generous amount into a small bowl or a large mug. Top a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon, then dig in.
    Notes
    Granita is best served the day it’s made. To make double-strength coffee, use 3 tbsp coffee grounds for each cup of water, and then brew as per usual.
    Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
    3.2.2929

     

    « Thrill of the Grill: Watermelon Salad with Grilled Haloumi Cheese
    Berry, Berry Quite Contrary: Raspberry Mojitos (and Mint-Lime Simple Syrup) »
    107 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Susan says

      July 27, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      I love these photos! They are gorgeous and I'll happily make like the Italians and enjoy granita in the morning.

      Reply
    2. Ginny McMeans says

      July 25, 2015 at 5:16 pm

      How absolutely beautiful and I could go for this every morning as my morning pick me up. :)

      Reply
    3. foodwanderings says

      July 24, 2015 at 6:46 pm

      How refreshing a slushy coffee with whipped cream. Summery perfection!

      Reply
    4. The Food Hunter says

      July 24, 2015 at 5:39 pm

      Proud to be Sicilian!! Now I need to change my breakfast habits :)

      Reply
    5. Martha @ A Family Feast says

      July 24, 2015 at 2:56 pm

      I've always told my husband (who is Italian BTW) that I think I was Italian in a previous life! Love the food, the wine, the desserts...especially this one!

      Reply
    6. Marlene says

      July 24, 2015 at 11:49 am

      This sounds so wonderfully refreshing. I think if I were to have a dish of this sitting on my veranda, I could close my eyes and imagine myself in Italy.

      Reply
    7. dixya | food, pleasure, and health says

      July 24, 2015 at 9:14 am

      im not Italian but I can definitely be on board with coffee/chocolate or anything sweet for breakfast. this sounds wonderful.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe:  

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Looking for Something?...

    Archives

    Categories

    All images and content Copyright © 2023 Isabelle Boucher | Crumb: A Food Blog · Privacy Policy