COFFEE GRANITA

Steps:

• Method: Heat the sugar and a cup of water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Dissolve the sugar, stir in the coffee; cool. (The cooler the liquid is before the freezing process begins, the quicker the granita will form its ice crystals). Pour the chilled liquid into a 20cm-square baking dish; freeze. Stir the mixture every 20-30 minutes as crystals form. (See Basic Tips below). Spoon into glasses. Top with whipped cream and chocolate-covered coffee beans, if using.
• GRAPEFRUIT AND CAMPARI GRANITA.
• Blend 2 cups of freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice, half a cup of Campari, half a cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste. Pour into a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. Using the tines of a fork, stir the mixture every 30 minutes, scraping edges and breaking up any ice chunks as the mixture freezes, until granita is slushy and frozen, about 3 hours. Scoop into chilled serving glasses.
• GRANITA BASIC STEPS
• Heat up the water and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. This will make a syrup for your base that will give you a great finished texture. If the recipe calls for caster sugar, you may just be able to stir it into hot tap water to dissolve. If you are looking to get even more creative, try infusing your simple syrup with other flavours that will complement your granita recipe.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add any other ingredients that your granita recipe calls for. Refrigerate the liquid until it is completely cold.
• Pour the granita liquid into a shallow baking dish and place in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. At this point, ice will just begin to form around the edge of the dish.
• Use a fork to scrape the ice back into the centre of the dish. Make sure to get all the ice off the bottom of the dish as well. Return the granita to the freezer.
• Continue to scrape the dish every 20 minutes or so. Use the prongs of the fork to scrape any ice off the dish and the side of the fork to break up any larger chunks that have formed.
• Continue scraping the granita off the sides of the pan until it is completely frozen and has the consistency of coarse sand or shaved ice. Return the pan to the freezer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. You want the granita to be dry on the surface and lose any slushiness in texture before it is served.