Coffee Granita

My BFF came over the other day, and was poking around my kitchen for dessert because I almost always have some kind of cookies or cupcakes sitting on the counter.  I offered her a Coffee Granita because that had been our dessert the night before.  She made a face and said, "No Thanks."  I said, "You don't even know what a granita is."  To which she replied, "It's some kind of slushy thing."  Well yeah, it is some kind of slushy thing, but way better than that.  A granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings.  Its origin is Italian and it makes an easy, but extremely elegant dessert.  This grown up version features Creme de Cacao liqueur and whipped cream.  Simple and refreshing.  Coffee and liquor.  Sounds good to me!  Quite an ending to a dinner party.  Or a snack with your BFF.   

Easy & Elegant

Only 4 ingredients!

Combine sugar and water.
Boil together for 3 minutes. 

Let mixture cool.
Add to coffee.

Mix well.

Pour into shallow container.
Cover and freeze.

Stir occasionally with fork
to create slushy texture.

Don't allow to freeze solid.
Keep scraping with fork
to keep it slushy.

Spoon into bowl or wine glass to serve.

Pour an ounce of liqueur
over each serving.

Garnish with whipped cream

Coffee Granita

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups strong coffee
1/2 cup creme de cacao liqueur

Boil water and sugar for 3 minutes, stirring often and making sure sugar is dissolved.  Add to coffee and set aside to cool.  Pour into shallow dish and cover.  Freeze for several hours, stirring occasionally with a fork to create a slushy texture.  Spoon into serving dishes.  Top each serving with an ounce of liqueur.  Garnish with whipped cream.

Prep Time:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time:  0 needs to chill