#food #coffee #expresso #granita #Sicily #Rome
“Granita is Sicilian specialty. It is a cold, sweet treat made from water, sugar, espresso or fruit that is never completely frozen. It’s mixed continuously to obtain a texture that is both grainy and creamy”–Paul Ebeling
If you thought all granitas are more or less the same, you were wrong. A Knights’ Espresso Granita con Pana will surpass your expectation. A scoop of super corse grains of espresso ice is served with whipped cream in a small glass. The deep, rich flavor of the finest Italian roast should be so concentrated that you really feel like you are eating espresso coffee. Whipped cream adds the rich creamy flavor and make the experience 1 to enjoy often.
Here is how to make it at home as a desert or drink.
Ingredients for 1 pint
- 3 cups water
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups corse ground espresso beans
- 4 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste
Instructions
- Step 1 Using an espresso machine, make coffee with the ground espresso and the water. You should have 1 3/4 cups strong espresso. Alternatively, make 1 3/4 cups espresso using a French press or drip coffee maker. Add the 1/4 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Taste the espresso and add more sugar if necessary. Chill in the refrigerator, or, to hasten the process, pour the espresso into a stainless-steel bowl, set it in a larger bowl filled with ice, and stir the coffee until cold.
- Step 2 Pour the chilled coffee into two 9-by-9-inch stainless-steel pans. Freeze for 15 mins. Stir well and return the pans to the freezer. Continue freezing, stirring every 10 mins, until the granita is completely frozen, about 40 mins in all.
- Step 3 In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the cream with the remaining 4 teaspoons of sugar until the cream holds soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Scoop the granita into chilled serving glasses or desert bowls and top with the whipped cream.
Granita Tips
* For extra speed, buy the espresso ready-made from a coffee shop.
* You can put the warm espresso directly into the freezer, but it will take much longer to freeze.
* Granita will freeze faster in a metal pan, but you can use Pyrex; just allow more time. Or freeze the liquid in metal bowls.
* Stir the granita with a fork to get a nice fine grain.
* Granita melts quickly, so serve it in bowls or glasses that have been chilled in the freezer.
Note: Granita is similar to the traditional Italian ice, but it has more of a granular texture.
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