Espresso Granite Recipes

EASY ESPRESSO GRANITA

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Put espresso and sugar into a medium glass bowl; stir until sugar has dissolved. Set in ice-water bath; stir until cooled.
• Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish; place in freezer. Chill until mixture begins to solidify, about 45 minutes. Remove from freezer; stir with a fork until mixture begins to break up. Freeze, scraping with fork every 30 minutes, until completely frozen and fine crystals form, about 2 hours total.
• Whisk cream in a chilled medium bowl until soft peaks form. Divide granita among serving glasses or bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream; sprinkle with ground espresso.

ESPRESSO GRANITA WITH SOFT WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• For the espresso granita: Whisk the sugar into the hot espresso until dissolved. Stir in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture in to a 9-by-13-inch freezer-safe pan and freeze until the mixture is frozen through, at least 3 hours and up to overnight. When ready to serve, scrape the surface into large, icy flakes.
• For the soft whipped cream: Place a 16-ounce glass jar with a lid in the freezer for 20 minutes. Pour in the cold cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla and shake vigorously until soft whipped cream forms, about 5 minutes.
• To serve: Spoon some of the granita into a glass. Top with a dollop of soft whipped cream and sprinkle on chocolate shavings and crushed espresso beans.

ESPRESSO GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine coffee and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a freezer safe container. Place in freezer and scrape with a fork every 30 minutes until completely frozen. In a mixing bowl whip cream until soft peaks.
• Assemble in a tall champagne flute alternating granita and cream.

ESPRESSO GRANITA WITH WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• In a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish, carefully pour in hot espresso and whisk in granulated sugar until dissolved completely. Place dish in freezer and every hour, scrape the mixture with a large fork to create the granita texture. The granita will need approximately five hours to completely freeze. The first time you scrape, the granita will not be frozen solid. You want to start scraping while it's still slushy so that texture of the granita will be even throughout.
• Right before serving, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks. Add the vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks.
• Line up 12 glass Champagne flutes. Place 1 tablespoon of granita in the bottom of each glass. Using a different spoon, spread a layer of whipped cream. Continue layering the granita and whipped cream, ending with the whipped cream. Sprinkle chocolate over the top of each glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.

COFFEE GRANITE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir the sugar into the coffee. Cool and place in refrigerator to chill.
• Pour espresso mixture into a shallow metal baking pan and freeze, stirring with a fork every 1/2 hour, until mixture is coarse ice crystals, but not frozen hard, about 3 to 4 hours.
• To serve, scoop granite into serving bowls. Serve with crema on top, and lemon twists on the side.
• Sorrel is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia, now found in America and Australia. It has a refreshing, slightly sour taste since it contains oxalic acid.
• Sorrel is related to rhubarb (which also contains oxalic acid), and can be used as a vegetable (salads, purees) or as an herb (soups and sauces). It is available throughout the summer.
• Granite is coarse, crystalline ice, made without egg whites or milk products. It is made without an ice cream maker.
• Since granite has a low sugar content, compared to ice cream, it freezes quickly.
• History of ice cream: Before the freezer, Italians used to send runners to the mountains to get snow. They would flavor the snow with honey or fruit to make iced desserts.

ESPRESSO GRANITA

Steps:

• Reserving 1 teaspoon ground espresso for garnish, brew 2 cups of espresso. Add sugar to the hot espresso, and stir to dissolve.
• Prepare an ice bath. Place espresso mixture in a heat-proof glass bowl, and set in the ice bath, stirring until mixture becomes very cold.
• Transfer espresso mixture to a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex baking dish, and place in freezer. Let stand until ice crystals start to form around the edges, about 45 minutes. Remove dish from freezer. Using the tines of a fork, stir the ice crystals into the center. Return dish to freezer. Stir the ice crystals every 30 minutes until all the liquid has frozen into soft, fine crystals, about 2 hours.
• Place whipping cream in a chilled bowl, and whip until soft peaks form. Divide granita among four glasses or serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream, and sprinkle remaining teaspoon ground espresso over tops. Serve immediately.

ESPRESSO GRANITA

Steps:

• Mix the warm espresso with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Freeze according to the instructions for freezing granita on page 145.

ESPRESSO GRANITE

Steps:

• Combine the espresso, sugar and Sambuca. Refrigerate until chilled. Pour the espresso mixture into a large shallow pan and place in the freezer. Stir every 20 minutes until there is no liquid in bottom of the pan, about 1 hour. Spoon the granite into four chilled dessert glasses. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and serve.