By Ippolita Douglas Scotti:
If you visit Sicily in the summertime, you can taste a traditional, if odd, Sicilian breakfast.
It is not cappuccino and pastries . . . it is a coffee granita with whipped cream and a sweet brioche bun to dip into it. È spettacolare!
Trust me, it is so very satisfying and refreshing—and you can replicate it at home!
It requires a lot of freezing, so take your time. You can store the granita in the freezer for a few days. Just make sure to stir well before serving.
If you don't like coffee, you can also make this recipe with a fresh fruit puree of strawberries, blackberries, mango, almonds, and all your favorite fruit!
Squisito!
Granita di Caffè con Panna
1 cup water
1 cup strong espresso coffee
½ cup white sugar
Whipped cream
Bring water and sugar to boil in a small saucepan; simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and add coffee. Pour into a metal bowl and mix well. Cool granita mixture at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Freeze for 1 hour.
Stir the granita vigorously to break up ice crystals, scraping with a metal spoon. Repeat freezing and breaking up process 4 to 5 more times, 2 hours total.
Place granita in 4 glasses and top with whipped cream.
Contessa Ippolita Douglas Scotti di Vigileno is a true Italian—born in Florence, Italy, from a long line of eccentric Italian aristocrats, she has traveled the world in search of adventure, romance, and magical, mouth-watering recipes. "Ippo" loves Italian history, especially as it relates to food. Author of There's a Beatle in My Soup, Curcuma e Zenzero (Ginger & Tumeric), 101 Perche Sulla Storia di Firenze (101 questions on Florence History), The Grimore, The Magic of the Moon, and Magic Herbs (all published by Newton Compton Publishers).