Coffee Granita with Cardamom Whipped Cream from Bon Appetit Magazine, April 2010

There aren't many things that I'd say I'm a snob about, but I'll be the first to admit that coffee is one of those few things. I'm a bit proud of the fact that when I met my husband he was one of those "whatever's on sale" ground coffee buyers and didn't mind drinking what was put in front of him. Now, like me, he's a coffee snob.

We spent a few weeks in Italy once and learned a new depth of appreciation for coffee as we worked our way across the country drinking cup after cup of cappuccino and promptly bought a machine to make it ourselves after trying it in several restaurants and finding them not at all like the real deal (don't even get me started on the cappuccino served at gas stations!).

I'm a Starbucks fan, though not of their brew, just of their bean; the French Roast bean. I find that they brew it too strongly and it becomes bitter. I prefer a little lighter cup so I can enjoy the full flavor without the edge. We drink our coffee black, though every once in a while we will have it "fru fru" style, as we call it, with cream and sugar.

All that preface is setting up the recipe that I've made for our friends that are coming over tonight, the Coffee Granita with Cardamom Whipped Cream. Granitas are so simple to make and so elegant to look at and since coffee granitas are a standard type, I thought it would be fun.

The recipes is under the Fast Easy Fresh section and it says that it's a "15-Minute Party Dessert," which isn't exactly true. The granita itself takes at least 3-4 hours to chill and harden before it can be scraped and used. The whipped cream, now THAT takes less than 15 minutes to pull together. Don't be misled by the heading if you intend to make this. I suggest doing the coffee part the night before.

Another problem you'll probably run into is finding instant espresso powder. It's not available at any grocery stores I went to, though I could have bought an 8-ounce container for close to $20 online. Considering that I look down my nose at anything coffee-related with the word "instant" in front of it, I wasn't going to do that. So, instead I made a strong batch of coffee with espresso beans. Close enough, considering it was about to be adulterated with sugar, vanilla and whipped cream.

After it was done, but before I'd made the whipped cream, I offered a spoonful of the granita to my husband who grimaced and said it tasted like aluminum foil. I tried again after putting a dollop of the cardamom whipped cream on it, and he said it was, "better, but...."  I think that the "but" says it all. It isn't all that great. Too sweet, too much vanilla. The whipped cream helps to fru fru it, but we didn't much like it. Hopefully the company that just pulled up will.

I guess I need to go open the door. If you like it better than we did, let me know. At least it looks gorgeous!