Coffee Granita

My favourite dessert at MG Garage – in fact perhaps my favourite dessert of all time – was coffee granita with chocolate mousse. When chef Janni Kyritsis and I wrote Wild Weed Pie, we did a whole section on granitas saying: “‘squeeze, freeze, scratch and serve’ is almost the only recipe you need for granitas.” They really are that easy, and a simple coffee granita with a touch of cream instantly transports me to a southern Italian holiday. I make five long black shots to get the 500ml of coffee for my granita, but you could use strong plunger coffee instead. If you want to try your coffee granita Janni-style, see my chocolate mousse recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients

500ml strong black coffee (2 cups)
⅓ cup castor sugar (75g)
Pouring cream, for serving (optional)

Method

Dissolve sugar in the coffee.
Pour into a shallow tray (ideally made of metal) and place in the fridge until cool then in the freezer.
After an hour, when it’s started to freeze, crush it with a fork to create flakes of ice.
Keep crushing it every 30–60 minutes until completely frozen then cover it, pressing plastic against its surface, and leave in the freezer until needed.
Just before serving, scratch the granita with a fork to fluff it up.
Spoon coffee granita into glasses and serve, drizzled with cream if you like.

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What Other Travellers Say

Just back from the most amazing trip to Emilia-Romagna with Roberta. Not only the home of Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano & Balsamic Vinegar, but scenery to die for and more quaint and exciting restaurants and cafés than you ever imagined. And Roberta is just the person to help you discover and enjoy them! Her knowledge of the history of the region and its wonderful cuisine know no bounds and all added to the excitement of the trip. It was faultless - well organized and lots of fun!

Wow, what a tour – I learned so much! Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's recipe kits – the family are reaping the benefits now. If you're thinking of joining Roberta in future years get ready for an amazing experience.

My wife and I recently joined Roberta's Emilia-Romagna tour. We enjoyed all the temptations offered and learned a lot about that part of Italy, especially its food and wine culture. What was most impressive was Roberta's local knowledge of people and places. The planning and effort she put into making the whole experience seem effortless was remarkable.

Our tour with Roberta through Emilia-Romagna was the highlight of the year. Good company, gorgeous palazzi and great food. What more could one ask for? Roberta's enthusiasm and knowledge made this a once in a lifetime experience through an extraordinary, diverse and very special region.

Roberta’s passion for Italy shone throughout an unforgettable food and wine tour. She introduced us to family-owned artisanal producers, where we experienced everything from attic-aged balsamic to small-batch wines, Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The local guides were equally passionate, and the excellent transport and accommodation made the trip effortless. This tour captured the region’s traditions, flavours and people, and thanks to Roberta’s deep knowledge we left with wonderful memories. A truly authentic culinary adventure — highly recommended.

Coffee Granita