Sicilian Coffee Granita

[Margi Cintrano]

Buonasera,

Sicilians are the acknowledged wizards of Ices, and they in turn acknowledge the Persian, Arabic, Pakistani, Moorish, Syrians and Turkish for the origin of their refreshing sherberts, sorbets, icecreams and ices. It started when the Moorish conquerors chilled sweet fruit syrups called Sarbat with snow from Mount Edna.

The evolution from chilled syrup to frozen syrup, Granita was only a matter of time. The most common flavors are coffee and lemon. A scoop of coffee granita is often floated in an iced espresso or café and topped with whipped cream.

Here is the recipe from Taormina, Sicila and just imagine, sitting in a café ...

COFFEE GRANITA ...

1 1/2 cups mineral water
1/8 cup sugar ( or to taste ) or Sweetner of choice
3/4 Brewed Espresso
2 Tblsps. chilled whipping cream whipped

1. stir water and sugar in heavy sauce pan ( medium size ) over medium heat until sugar or sweetner dissolves and syrup boils one minute.

2. cool syrup.

3. mix in coffee to the cooled syrup and pour mixture into medium sized metal bowl.

4. freeze until ice mixture is solid - 4 hours.

5. using a fork, scrape the ice to form flakes and return to freezer

6. keep frozen until ready to serve

7. pile coffee granita into stemmed glasses and top with generous amount of whipped cream.

*** serve with a brioche or biscotti ... Enjoy ...

Have nice Sunday,
Ciao.
Margaux Cintrano.

 

[taxlady]

Now that sounds delicious.

I once had something called granita served to me as ice coffee. It was excessively sweet, there was no cream in it, and I hated it. They had probably put the frozen coffee in a blender or something, because it was all tiny (~1 mm) pieces of ice. Sort of like an overly sweet espresso slushy.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Tax Lady,

This is delicious and refreshing ... Thanks for the compliment on the recipe.

Enjoy it ... I do not use bleached white sugar in mine ...

I use either Sugar in the Raw or No sugar Sweetner to taste ...

Have a nice Sunday.
Ciao. Margi.

 

[salt and pepper]

Hi Margi, I offten make granita's all summer long and just can't get enough. I wonder if you can help with a qustion I have? When making Italian Ice, I can't seem to get that fine texture and smoothness of the real thing. What might I be doing wrong? Thanks for all your posts, Joe

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Salt & Pepper,

18.00 Hours Sunday: Just rec´d ur note ...

I am uncertain exactly what you are referring to, when you state: I cannot seem to get that fine texture and smoothness ...

Firstly, let me recommend a photo step by step website which may assist you in the process: www.lindasitaitaliantable.com

The Granita Ice is not smooth nor fine in texture ... It is tiny chips or ice particles ...

This is not a smooth sorbet or sherbert ...

It is crushed broken ice particles in which espresso syrup is employed ... Do you mean the syrup is not fine ?

Kind regards.
Ciao,
Margi.

 

[salt and pepper]

Dear Margi,
As I stated before, I make granita's all summer long and understand the texture is flakey ice crystals, What I'm refering to, is the smooth lemon Italian ice which use to be available from NY street venders & some Italian bakeries in the eastern part of the US.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Salt & Pepper,

I apologise, however, I have never made Lemon Sorbet, Sherbert or Lemon Ices or Ice Cream before. I believe one might need an icecream maker ... Perhaps I am wrong.

I believe if you check the website I sent you, the website had several flavor ices and lovely granitas step by step of all types which are of Italian descendent.

Have a nice Sunday.
Ciao, Margi.

 

[salt and pepper]

Dear Margi , thank you for your reply. Joe

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Salt & Pepper,

www.wikihow.com

2 cups water
1 cup pure corn syrup light
1/8 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice - no pith, no zest

The recipe clearly states that the water should be simmered with the lemon juice and the sugar which must be completely dissolved.

Once it is cooled, and before freezing, drizzle in the Corn Syrup and combine completely. Then, you can freeze ...

I hope this shall prove fulfilling.

Have nice evening.
Margi.