We’ve been chatting up the unadulterated goodness and simplicity of cold brew coffee with friends over the past few weeks, as evidenced by yesterday’s Iced Caramel Coffee.
Chef friend and catering genius Libby in Austin suggested trying this Cold Brew Coffee Granita last weekend, her cold brew riff on Alton Brown’s coffee granita recipe.
As we are, Libby claims to be a big fan of a concentrated cold brew; while she cold brews in what some might argue are almost industrial quantities during the summer, she still shoots for a ‘double strength’ concentrate to store and dilute as needed.
We’re still cold brewing roughly a gallon of cold brew concentrate at a time (roughly a pound of beans to a gallon of filtered water) as it’s a snap to store and holds for up to a week covered in the fridge.
Libby’s granita packs a bit more punch than one made with weak espresso or standard coffee, and is a bit richer with the inclusion of brown sugar.
This one is about as easy as it gets – if you can measure and stir, you can do this. Keep scraping and get those granita crystals nice and flaky. Though not an absolute essential, whipped cream flavored with your favorite coffee liqueur or yesterday’s dark caramel vodka and a bit of brown sugar kick this one over the top.
Summer seems a bit more bearable with this one in the freezer.
1 and 1/2 cups cold brew coffee concentrate
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp coffee liqueur of choice
1 tsp fresh orange zest
Combine all the ingredients and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Pour into a 9×13 inch metal pan and place (level) in the freezer for 30 minutes; remove and scrape any ice crystals that have formed from the sides and bottom of the pan. Return to the freezer.
Repeat the scraping process every 30 minutes for another 3 and a half or 4 hours, until the granita is thoroughly frozen.
Toss / fluff the granita flakes again to allow the flakes / crystals to dry at least another half hour or so.
Serve with slightly sweetened whipped heavy cream (maybe with a touch of that coffee liqueur again).
Enjoy.
