Espresso Martini Granita

RECIPE: Reprinted with permission from Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day
© 2024 Anna Francese Gass. Published by Union Square & Co. Photography by Linda Xiao.

Photo: Linda Xiao

March 15, 2024

In the book Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day, author Anna Francese Gass reimagines the Espresso Martini as Italy’s favorite icy dessert, the granita. The granita is traditionally made from fresh fruits such as strawberries or lemon pureed, frozen with water, and then flaked for a cooling summertime treat. “This recipe is a slightly boozy upgrade that adds some coffee liqueur and vodka turns the granita into a frozen martini,” writes Gass.

Ingredients

Yield:4

2 cups hot espresso or regular brewed coffee
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur
1/4 cup vodka
2 cups water
whipped cream, for serving

Tools:9x13-inch baking dish, fork
Glass:martini
Garnish:espresso beans (optional)

Preparation

Immediately after brewing the espresso, pour it into a 9×13-inch baking dish, then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the coffee liqueur, vodka, and 2 cups of water. Stir to combine and place in the freezer for 1 hour.

Remove the baking dish from the freezer and mix with a fork to disrupt the forming ice crystals. Return the dish to the freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the freezer again and, using a fork, scrape the surface to create shards of ice. Repeat three or four more times at 30-minute intervals until the granita has a rough, hardened consistency.

Dollop a few teaspoons of whipped cream into four martini glasses. Spoon the granita on top, then add more whipped cream over the granita. Garnish with a few espresso beans, if desired, and serve immediately. Leftover granita can be stored in the freezer, covered, for up to 1 week. Flake again with a fork before serving.