Chicory coffee granita with bourbon whipped cream

“I distinctly remember my first cup of coffee. My grannie fixed my sister and I two tiny glasses of coffee milk (which seemed to consist of more sugar than coffee or milk). I stretched out my hands, took hold of the cold, crystal glass and quietly imbibed my very first glass of smoky, chicory coffee. In that one moment, I had unknowingly become part of a treasured ritual that I would carry with me daily."

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

"I’m not sure if it was the percolating sound of the coffee maker puttering about or the smoky aroma that beckoned us out of our beds, but whatever it was, it brought us together in the mornings. Now, no matter how far I am from my grannie’s kitchen table, I sit with my morning cup of coffee and the comfort of knowing my loved ones are taking part in the same ritual. Like The Wednesday Chef blogger Luisa Weiss once said: “Distance means nothing when your kitchen smells like home.” Or, in my case, coffee.”

Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) freshly brewed strong chicory coffee (see Note)
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Bourbon whipped cream

• 250 ml (1 cup) thickened cream
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp bourbon or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the chicory coffee granita, dissolve the sugar in the freshly brewed coffee. Allow the coffee to cool slightly.

Pour the coffee into a shallow container with a lid and freeze for 1 hour. Take a fork and scrape the ice crystals. Place back in the freezer and scrape the ice every 30 minutes until the granita is fluffy and light.

Meanwhile, to make the bourbon whipped cream, whisk all of the ingredients in a stand mixer until soft peaks form ­– the whipped cream should be able to hold a slight peak if inverted.

Divide the granita among glasses and top with the bourbon whipped cream to serve.

Note

• Chicory coffee is available from health food shops. Substitute whole-bean coffee.

Recipe from For the Love of the South by Amber Wilson, with photographs by Amber Wilson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

"I’m not sure if it was the percolating sound of the coffee maker puttering about or the smoky aroma that beckoned us out of our beds, but whatever it was, it brought us together in the mornings. Now, no matter how far I am from my grannie’s kitchen table, I sit with my morning cup of coffee and the comfort of knowing my loved ones are taking part in the same ritual. Like The Wednesday Chef blogger Luisa Weiss once said: “Distance means nothing when your kitchen smells like home.” Or, in my case, coffee.”