Double Chocolate Granita

Italian-style chocolate granita, the icy cousin of sorbet, made by freezing a sweetened cocoa-and-chocolate liquid and scraping it periodically into delicate chocolate snowflakes. No ice cream maker required. Just a square pan, a freezer, and an attentive spoon every 30 minutes or so.

The double chocolate name comes from using both unsweetened cocoa powder and chopped semi-sweet chocolate. The cocoa supplies clean chocolate flavor and color, while the chopped chocolate adds richness and body that pure cocoa can’t match alone. Together they give a granita that’s surprisingly deep for an ice-based dessert.

The pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg is the Italian giveaway. Italian chocolate desserts often hide a small amount of warm spice that you can’t taste directly but that makes the chocolate read fuller and more complex. The trick goes back to medieval Italian chocolate drinks.

Pro Tips

• Stir and scrape the freezing mixture every 30 to 45 minutes for the right texture. Granita is meant to be granular, not smooth
• Pull the syrup from the heat the moment the chocolate has melted. Overcooking the sugar mixture turns it grainy in a different, unpleasant way
• Use a cocoa powder you actually like the taste of. Cheap cocoa makes weak granita
• Let solidly frozen granita soften 15 minutes in the fridge before scraping into bowls

Variations

• Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder to the syrup for a mocha granita
• Splash in 1 tablespoon of coffee liqueur or dark rum after cooling for an adult version
• Top each serving with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings