Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread

Every year we hear there will be a shortage of some fruit or vegetable which invariably leads to unpredictable levels of scarcity, panic, and, of course price increases (or gouging depending on where you live or where you shop). Last year the fruit in the shortage spotlight was lemons, this year it is limes. I suppose this means the mojitos and margaritas will be a little more expensive to make this year. Someone once said 'when life gives you lemons make lemonade'. Nothing against lemonade, but why not make Lemon Drops, Lemon Curd or Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread instead? Especially when they are in abundance at the grocery store.

In times of abundance and in times of scarcity, there is always at least one lemon in my refrigerator. I now buy them one or two at a time as there had been a few occasions when I allowed a few bags of lemons go to waste (something I promised myself would never happen again). But this past week bags of lemons were on sale at one of the grocery stores I frequent. To buy or not to buy was the question I was asking myself. After giving it some thought (and trying not to be impulsive), the answer was 'buy', but only on the condition I would make either Lemon Bars or Lemon Curd. Having a plan with options in place, the bag of big beautiful lemons went into the shopping cart.

Arriving home, I decided to use the lemons to make Lemon Curd, however, that meant finding a book I had read almost twenty years ago, one having a recipe for a most amazing Lemon Curd in it. Only I couldn't remember the name of the book and wasn't exactly sure where this book was. I was pretty confident I would remember it, if I could only see it. After searching through most of the places where books are displayed or stored here, this needle in the haystack book was miraculously found (Bean Blossom Dreams: A City Family's Search for a Simple Country Life). Yet, after all of the time spent searching, I ended up deciding to save making the Lemon Curd for when I was going to make a Pavlova (a foreshadowing of a future blog posting). Not all was lost. Lemons Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread wasn't such a bad second option use for the bag of lemons.

There are many Lemon Bar recipes out there. They generally fall into two camps: bars having a thick lemony filling on top of a shortbread crust and bars having more of a 1:1 lemony filling to crust ratio. My preference and this recipe falls into the second camp. What separates these Lemon Bars from some of the other recipes out there is the brown butter shortbread crust and the use of sea salt in both the filling and the crust. The browned butter adds the right amount of nuttiness to the crust while the sea salt compliments both the crust and filling perfectly.

Browning the butter adds a step to making the shortbread crust, but the time it takes is pale in comparison to the flavor it creates. Browned butter, sometimes called beurre noisette (translation: hazelnut butter), smells like hazelnuts, has a nutty, toasted flavor, and helps make almost any sauce or baked good taste richer. In this recipe the butter is browned, cooled, refrigerated and then allowed to soften slightly. If you have never made brown butter before, America's Test Kitchen put together a great (less than two minutes) YouTube video on how to make it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-eLe2zuTyQ. If you are a visual learner like I am, it is worth watching.

The dough for this crust is made in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Once made it is pressed into a 9x13 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and chilled for 30 minutes. In a preheated 350 degree oven, the crust is baked for 20-25 minutes or until it is lightly browned. 

During the last ten minutes of the crust's baking time, the filling is assembled as it needs to be ready to be poured over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven. Depending on the size of your lemons you will need at least four, maybe five. Room temperature lemons are always much easier to juice than ones taken right out of the refrigerator. The eggs, milk and sea salt are whisked together in a large bowl. In another bowl the sugar and flour are whisked together before the lemon juice and zest are added. After whisking until the sugar has dissolved, the eggs are added and the entire mixture is whisked until well combined. The entire mixture is poured over the just out of the oven hot crust.

Reducing the oven temperature to 325 degrees, the lemon bars are baked for 20-25 minutes or until the center is set (my baking time was 25 minutes). Once the lemon bars have cooled completely, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill. The chilling makes the bars much easier to remove from the pan and cut.

You can dust the lemon bars with sifted confectionary sugar either before or after you cut them (with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry). After cutting them into bars or squares, place on either pieces of parchment paper or in paper baking cups before putting on a platter or packing up.

How do I love these Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread? Oh, let me count the ways. They hold their shape, they have the perfect crust to filling ratio, the filling is creamy and lemony without being overly tart or sugary sweet, and the richness and nuttiness of the brown butter shortbread crust makes them addictive. 

Recipe
Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread (crust recipe inspired by Martha Stewart and lemon filling recipe inspired by Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients
Crust
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, browned, chilled and brought back to room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectionary sugar
pinch of sea salt

Lemon Filling
4 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Confectionary sugar for dusting

Directions
Crust
1. Make browned butter using 12 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. Cool slightly, place in refrigerator to chill, then remove from refrigerator to slightly soften.
2. Sift flour, confectionary sugar and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
4. Mix in flour mixture on low speed until combined and a dough forms (be patient here, it comes together).
5. Press dough into a parchment paper lined 9x13 inch baking pan. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or until firm. Note: Dough should come up at least 1/2 inch up sides of pan as you don't want your filling sliding under your crust. Overall thickness of pressed dough will be about 1/4 inch.
6. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake crust until lightly golden (approximately 20-25 minutes).
Important Note: Prepare filling before crust is finished baking.

Lemon Filling
1. Whisk eggs, milk and salt together. Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour and sugar. Add lemon juice and zest whisking until sugar has dissolved.
3. Blend egg mixture into lemon/sugar mixture, whisking until combined.
4. Pour mixture over hot crust.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set in the center.
6. Cool to room temperature, cover and chill in the refrigerator.
7. Remove chilled bars from baking pan. 
8. Sprinkle with sifted confectionary sugar.
9. Dip a long, sharp knife (not serrated) into hot water, wipe clean, then cut into squares or bars.
10. Place cut lemon bars/squares on pieces of parchment paper or place in baking cups. Serve immediately. Store bars covered in the refrigerator.

Grilled Chicken

If I have learned anything over the course of my life, it is that you are never ever too old to learn something new. There is something to be said for the feeling of giddiness or the adrenaline rush you experience when making a discovery or finding a new piece of information that changes your perspective, maybe even your life. And in the most recent case of a life-changing, adrenaline rushing moment, I learned a few things that will forever change how I will make a grilled chicken. And I have Paul Kahan, chef/owner of two of my favorite restaurants in Chicago (The Publican and Blackbird), to thank.

Not only did he teach me how to butterfly a chicken (being a visual learner online videos can be great tutorials) he helped me understand why a salting then a marinating process is necessary to create a moist, flavorful, and juicy grilled chicken.

You might be thinking 'what is the big deal about making grilled chicken?' After you make this recipe you will understand the 'big deal'. With my new found knowledge I made the best ever grilled chicken. Honestly, yes best ever. But as obsessed as I am about this grilled chicken, I don't want to turn into someone who makes the same dish as the only dish I serve to family and friends. So I am thinking I am going to have change out the sides to go along with this grilled chicken. Then maybe I might be able to get away with having the grilled chicken make multiple repeat appearances, at least for a little while.

Up until now I have never taken on the challenge of butterflying (or spatchcocking) a whole fresh chicken. Whether I didn't trust my knife skills or I thought it was 'too' difficult, my reticence has finally been overcome. Surprisingly butterflying a four pound chicken wasn't as difficult as I had believed it to be (don't we sometimes convince ourselves somethings are harder than they really are?). Having good sharp knives made this chicken preparation relatively much easier.

Butterflying or spatchcocking the chicken begins with removing the neck and backbone using either kitchen shears or a knife. The removal of the breast plates, thigh bones, and wish bone can only be done with a sharp knife. If you are visual learner like I am, this short YouTube video will walk you through the process much better than I might be able to explain it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMB9HHjAMjU. 

Once butterflied or spatchcocked (my new favorite word), the chicken is first seasoned with two teaspoons of Kosher salt and allowed to marinate at least two hours and up to overnight in the refrigerator (I marinated for two hours). Two teaspoons may sound like too much salt for a four pound chicken, but it really isn't. 

Extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, dried oregano, garlic, salt and pepper are mixed together to create the marinade. It is then poured over the chicken (turning it to ensure both sides are coated) and marinated until ready to grill or overnight (I marinated for three hours with great results). 

There are several versions of Paul Kahan's Grilled Chicken recipe out there. One version has to do with the ingredients in the marinade and the second having to do with length of marination time. With regard to the marinade, I saw some recipes calling for 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar in addition to the other ingredients  (I didn't add brown sugar to my marinade). With regard to the marinating process, the salt marinating stage ranged from 2 hours to overnight, while marinating in the olive-oil mixture ranged from less than an hour to overnight (my marinating times were 2 hours and 3 hours respectively). Depending on which marinating times you follow, the flavor and juiciness of the grilled chicken will be affected. 

Paul Kahan recommended using Espelette pepper (made from chiles grown in the Basque region of France and Spain, having mild heat and on the expensive side) in the marinade, however, he offered Aleppo pepper (grown in Turkey and Syria, having a moderate heat level similar to an ancho chili, and is much less expensive) as an alternative. I used the Aleppo pepper I had purchased from Williams-Sonoma a few months earlier and lessened the amount of pepper used due to the variations in heat level. He also recommended using Mexican dried oregano instead of the more standard Mediterranean dried oregano. I didn't have the Mexican oregano on hand, but was happy with the flavors the standard Mediterranean dried oregano imparted on the chicken. Next time I will try making the marinade with Mexican oregano and compare the difference in taste to determine an oregano preference.

The marinated chicken is placed on a preheated grill skin side down. I had placed it over the heated side of my gas grill (versus the unheated side of the grill) and kept it on long enough to get a sear on the skin side before turning to get a sear on the bottom of the chicken before placing the chicken on aluminum foil. Continuing to cook over the direct heat and basting several times with the reserved marinade, the chicken remained on the grill for approximately 20-25 minutes before reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees (as measured with a meat thermometer).

All the grilled chicken to rest for a few minutes before cutting into eight pieces. Finish with freshly squeezed lemon juice (a half of a lemon worked perfectly). The acidity of the lemon juice adds another layer of flavor and when combined with juices of the chicken created the perfect 'mopping' sauce.

Recipe
Grilled Chicken (slight adaptation to Paul Kahan's Grilled Chicken recipe)

Ingredients
1 four pound chicken, butterflied
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (plus the juice from an additional half lemon)
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
1 Tablespoon dried oregano (if using Mexican oregano increase to 2 Tablespoons)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Suggested: Serve with fresh bread

Directions
1. Season the butterflied 4 pound chicken with 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Cover and marinate for at least two hours or overnight. Recommendation: 2-3 hours.
2. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, oregano, garlic, Kosher salt and black pepper. Pour over chicken, turn chicken to ensure both sides are coated, and marinate at least two hours or overnight. Recommendation: 3-4 hours.
3. Prepare grill. Place chicken skin side down on hot grill and turn once skin is charred (about 2-3 minutes). Turn chicken over, char bottom of chicken (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer chicken to a piece of aluminum foil and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes, turning and basting several times.
3a. Alternate indirect cooking method: Place chicken skin side down on grill but away from the heat and close grill. Baste and turn chicken over every five minutes until cooked through.
4. Chicken is done when the juices run clear or has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove and place on a platter. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Cut chicken into 8 pieces. Squeeze a half-lemon over chicken and serve.

As soon as we no longer had to sit in assigned seats in school, I was one of those who always chose to sit near the front of the classroom (actually the front row if seats were available), with one exception. I would sit a few rows back if I was taking a class with a friend who didn't care to be a 'a front row sitter' (as conflictual as this was for the competitive me, my friendship took priority). But that strong desire to 'sit up front' has now been replaced by an even stronger desire to 'take a place in the back' (in a room by myself with a closed-circuit television would make me even happier).

The dramatic 180 degree shift in my behavior happened the first time I took yoga and full body abs classes. No one can see when you are struggling with a concept presented in a classroom or when the content of the lecture seems so esoteric you wonder if you are sitting in class being taught in a language you understand. But everyone can see your struggles with coordination or endurance while you are in a different kind of learning curve (i.e., one involving physical learning). There have been moments when I wondered 'was I really a cheerleader way back when?' while watching the instructor demonstrate and explain the moves he/she expected us to do. They seemed like ones only circus contortionists or world-class athletes were capable of doing.

What I came to realize is that the competitive environment that existed in high school and college is one that exists only in my head, and fortunately not in any of these classes. The concept of being the 'best' has now been replaced with a different mantra 'be the best me'. At this point in my life, the goal is no longer about doing anything better, faster or more perfect than anyone else. Taking yoga and full body abs classes have been more than enough of a reality check to cause this paradigm shift. While I don't see myself moving from the back of the room to the front or even the middle of the room any time soon, I know I am someone who loves learning new things and challenging myself. And once I get past the whining stage of the learning curve, the euphoria and giddiness I feel are pretty powerful rewards. The every now and then little something from Lululemon rewards aren't bad either.

Savory Bread Pudding with Warm Tomato Jam

Bookstores are places I can spend hours. There is something about being able to wander through the various sections of a bookstore, picking up and leafing through books, that feels soul soothing. One of my most favorite bookstores closed several years ago, but I am still mourning its' loss. Borders Books had a feel, a kind of magnetic pull to it, I have yet to find in any other bookstore, large or small. Although the Boulder Bookstore on Pearl Street in Colorado has an ambiance I find incredibly compelling, it is a thousand miles from where I live, so it feels as inaccessible as Borders.

Whenever I have purchased a book, I usually stick the receipt in it. Not only does it serve as a temporary bookmark, it also tells a story or evokes a memory. When I opened up the cookbook Harvest to Heat: Cooking with America's Best Chefs, Farmers and Artisans, the date on the receipt was New Year's Day in 2011. I guess I celebrated the new year by hanging out in a bookstore (I am not a day after New Year's Eve nursing a hangover kind of girl). But more than three years have passed since I bought this book and I had yet to try out any of the recipes. As I re-thumbed through the book, I found myself wanting to make almost everything in it. It had me wondering 'what was I waiting for?'

The epiphany came when I walked into the grocery store and saw a huge table filled with the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes. Immediately I knew exactly which recipe I would make first. However, if you would have told me in 2011 and up until a few days ago that I would be making a Savory Bread Pudding with Homemade Tomato Jam, I would have looked at you and simply said 'not happening'. If you also told me I would be deboning my own chickens, I would have made the 'you know not to ask that twice face' (but that is a story for another time). For whatever reason, I shifted from being dismissive to actually salivating at the thought of tasting the flavors of both the bread pudding and tomato jam.

In the spirit of full disclosure making the Savory Bread Pudding with Warm Tomato Jam is on the time intensive side. But before you say 'not happening in my world', this is not labor intensive, but cooking and cooling time intensive (not all good things, not all great things come quick and easy). But wait there is a reward for your time. If making for a brunch or serving for dinner, the tomato jam and savory bread pudding could/should be made the day before. On the day of serving all you will have left to do is warm the jam and brown the bread pudding slices in a skillet (which takes only minutes). The reward for your perseverance is that the entire dish is assembled for serving in less than 10 minutes. 

The aroma coming from the tomato jam simmering on the stove was intoxicating. Where have you been all my life tomato jam? Either warm or chilled, it is like nothing I have ever tasted. It is without a doubt one of the easiest jams I have ever made. And if there was ever a case to be made for simplicity, the tomato jam makes it.

The lemons are thinly sliced (seeds removed of course) and one and a half pounds of tomatoes are cut into quarters. Placed in a medium-sized heavy saucepan along with the brown sugar and granulated sugar, these four ingredients are slowly simmered. The transformation of tomatoes, lemon slices, brown sugar, and granulated sugar (along with a half cup of water) takes just a little more than two hours.

This is a bread pudding perfect for breakfast or brunch or dinner. And again, after a little more than two hours, bread, a soft cow's cheese, bacon, milk, whipping cream, eggs, thyme, butter, salt and pepper are transformed in the most incredible savory bread pudding.

Bacon is cooked crisp, a day old loaf of Italian or French bread is cut into large cubes, and the ingredients (milk, cream, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper) combined make the wet mixture. A tablespoon of the bacon fat and four tablespoons of melted butter are mixed in with the bread cubes before the milk/egg mixture is poured over it. After mixing it all together, it sits for two hours. I let it sit (unrefrigerated) for a little more than two hours.

In a 9"x5"buttered loaf pan, the bread mixture, bacon and cheese are layered. After putting the loaf pan in a roasting pan, enough boiling water is poured in so that it comes up to the halfway point of the pan. In a 350 degree preheated oven, the savory bread pudding is baked in the water bath for 1 3/4 - 2 hours or until a knife inserted in the pudding comes out clean. My baking time was closer to 2 hours and I wasn't completely certain it was done when I took it out of the oven. But after allowing the bread pudding to cool completely, all of my fears were allayed.

The cooling time for the savory bread pudding is at least two hours. The longer the cooling time the better and easier it will be to unmold and cut into half-inch slices. And actually I ended up refrigerating the bread pudding which made cutting it into slices even easier (it also allowed the flavors to more fully develop). To serve, half-inch slices are sautéed in a non-stick skillet until each side is slightly crisp/browned and completely warmed through (if you are not using a non-stick skillet, sauté slices a little bit of butter). The tomato jam is warmed up (if it thickens too much add one tablespoon of water at a time) and served alongside or on top of the slices of the bread pudding. Like most bread puddings, it is rich and satisfying comfort food. It is the complete meal (eggs, bacon, bread, and cheese) for brunch/breakfast or the perfect accompaniment (to grilled chicken) for dinner.

The Tomato Jam served warm, however, it is insanely delicious (my word of the month is insane, not the best culinary descriptor, but one of two favorite words at the moment). Any leftover Tomato Jam can be served on toast or a bagel spread first with either cream cheese or ricotta cheese. If you are not ready to take on making both the Savory Bread Pudding and the Tomato Jam, at least take the proverbial baby step and make the Tomato Jam. I am thinking that once you taste the jam, you might just be wondering how it would taste on the Savory Bread Pudding. No whispering 'not happening' under your breath allowed.

Recipe
Savory Bread Pudding with Warm Tomato Jam (inspired from a recipe created by Matthew Gennuso and Karl Santos and shared in Harvest to Heat: Cooking with America's Best Chefs, Farmers and Artisans)

Ingredients
Bread Pudding
1 pound loaf of day old Italian or French Country Style Bread, crusts removed and cut into large cubes
4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter melted, plus additional for sautéing bread pudding slices if not using a non-stick skillet
1/4 pound smoked bacon, cooked and crumbed, 1 Tablespoon of fat reserved
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks (from large eggs)
1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound soft-ripened cow's milk cheese, broken off into small pieces

Homemade Tomato Jam
4 large ripe tomatoes or 4-6 Heirloom tomatoes (or 1 1/2 pounds), cut into quarters (Note: the sizes of heirloom tomatoes vary, so the number of tomatoes needed will be based on weight.)
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
Bread Pudding
1. Put cubed bread in a large bowl. Toss with melted butter and reserved bacon fat.
2. In a separate bowl, combine milk, cream, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over bread cubes and allow to sit for at least 2 but up to 4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter a 9"x5" loaf pan. 
4. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/3 of the bread evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer half of the crumbled bacon and 1/3 of the pieces of cheese. Repeat layers finishing top of pudding with the cheese only.
5. Place loaf pan in a roasting pan, add enough boiling water to the roasting pan so it comes up to the halfway point of loaf pan. Bake for 1 3/4 -2 hours or until a knife inserted in the center of the bread pudding comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool completely. Once cool remove from pan, placing on a large platter, and cut into 1/2 inch slices. 
7. In a heated non-stick skillet cook slices until lightly browned and heated through. Serve with warmed tomato jam on the side. If not using a non-stick skillet, add some butter to the pan before browning them.
Note: Cooled bread pudding can be covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to serve, unmold from pan, cut into 1/2 inch slices and cook as described above.

Homemade Tomato Jam
1. Place the tomatoes, lemon slices, water, and both sugars in a medium sized heavy saucepan. Set the heat to low (simmer) and cook until liquid has reduced and mixture has thickened. Stir frequently, particularly near the end to ensure the jam does not scorch the bottom of the pan. Note: Cooking time may range from 2 to 3 hours, depending your simmering heat setting.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool. If not using immediately, put in a covered jar and place in the refrigerator.
3. When getting ready to serve, reheat jam, adding one tablespoon of water at a time if it is too thick.

Haven't we all dug our heels in or whined about something at least once in our lives? If there are any of you who answer that question 'no not ever', I would say you are an outlier (notice I did not call your ability to tell the truth or your ability to honestly self-reflect into question). Have you ever known someone who has dug their heels in or whined about something? Now, I am thinking you are going to answer that question in the affirmative (notice I didn't say I am not surprised). Admittedly, digging in one's heels and whining are not necessarily admirable qualities but it is our reaction to those behaviors that can either help or hinder us (or others) from moving past them as well as moving through them.

Personally there are a few things in my life I have had difficulty processing, getting past, letting go of. So what might take someone a minute, day or week to work through might take me weeks, months, even years. But my friends who know me, know this about me (one of the downsides of being a first born Virgo) as well as understand the phases of grieving don't have a clearly defined time limit. Is there such a thing as too long? I suppose there are many answers to that question. How a friend pushes or helps us to end the whining, see possibility where none could be seen before, or move from being the victim to being the victor, often depends on what they say and what they do. At the end of day we are the only ones who can make those choices about change for ourselves, but we can't always do it alone. Sometimes we need a friend to help us, not to judge us for our less than endearing shortcomings.

Coffee Granita with Whipped Cream

The first time I tasted coffee I was in the fifth grade. After only one sip and as only could be spoken in the kind of pure honesty a 10 year old, I declared I did not like coffee. It would be decades before anything coffee would pass my lips again (this could be a lesson why we should not always let ten year olds make important life decisions as possessing honesty and wisdom are two very different things). Fast forward to a few years ago. I tasted coffee again, only this time it wasn't a hot coffee with milk and sugar, but an iced coffee with extra non-fat (aka skim milk) and one Splenda. And after one sip, let's just say I found it unfathomable I could have waited so long before giving coffee a second chance (sort of). As much as I have a new love and appreciation for iced coffee, I am not yet ready to give 'hot' coffee a second chance. Consider me an outlier, but I still don't understand how anyone can drink 'hot' coffee on 'hot' weather days.

As much as I have not yet gone over to the dark side of 'hot' coffee, I realize not everyone is a fan of iced coffee. And that got me thinking. Remember Venn Diagrams? (this isn't as much of a tangential detour as you might think, so bear with me just a bit longer). They are two overlapping/intersecting circles used to illustrate the similarities, differences and relationships between groups. Could it be possible that in the center of a hot coffee and iced coffee Venn Diagram would be coffee granita? In my world, the answer to this hypothetical, yet somewhat rhetorical question could be 'yes'. Some of you might emphatically say the answer is 'no' because Coffee Granita is not a beverage, but rather a semi-frozen dessert made with coffee, sugar and additional flavorings. Since I am way past the fifth grade where my Venn Diagram answers are no longer subject to the subjectiveness of my English teacher as well as being a self-admitted outlier, I, without hesitation, would put Coffee Granita in the center of the overlapping circles. 

If you have never had a Coffee Granita or even a granita before, well you might just consider not waiting years or even decades before trying it. I seriously believe Coffee Granita with Whipped Cream could become my new summer addiction. Without a doubt, this granita has the potential of becoming as habit forming as that morning morning cup of (hot or iced) coffee.

If simplicity, decluttering, back to basics, downscaling, and minimalism fits your way of life, this granita was made with you in mind. As hard as it is to believe, the coffee granita is made with only four ingredients: freshly brewed (strong) coffee, granulated sugar, vanilla and some additional flavoring (I used Dave's Coffee Syrup in Mocha). If this syrup isn't accessible in a store near where you live (or you feel compelled to make this granita now and cannot wait to order any), you can always use Kahlua or Tia Maria to further enhance the flavor of the granita. The quality of the coffee you use in the making of the granita will matter, so choose your favorite medium, medium-dark, or dark roast variety, the one you indulge yourself in or the one you buy when having guests.

A half-cup of granulated sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of the flavoring of your choice are mixed in to two cups of hot freshly, strongly brewed coffee. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then pour into a 9x9 baking pan and place in the freezer  the pan needs to sit flat in the freezer). After an hour, stir the mixture (ice crystals will begin to from) and return to the freezer. Then stir every 30 minutes for at least the next 2 to 3 hours (or longer, depending on the temperature of your freezer). At this point you will have a slushy, icy mixture. Once your granita gets to this consistency, it is ready to serve or you can continue to freeze (no more stirring required) for serving later. Then when you are ready to assemble/serve, use either a fork or spoon to scrape the frozen granita into shavings.

Let me digress to the use of a 9"x9" pan for a bit. Some recipes for granita call for the use of a 9"x12" baking pan, some call for a 9"x5" loaf pan, and some say don't use metal pans only ceramic pans. This would be what I call a 'gray' versus 'black and white' granita making decision. After having granita success with a 9"x9"metal pan, it will be my go-to granita pan but in a pinch, I will leave my pan size options open.

The coffee granita on its own is absolutely delicious, but the combination of the coffee granita with sweetened whipped cream can only be described as insane deliciousness.

Serve the coffee granita in a coffee cup, espresso cup, irish coffee cup, a parfait cup, Pots de Crème cup or any other cup/glass of your choosing. For smaller cups, top the granita with a generous dollop of the sweetened cream. But for larger cups/glasses, create two layers of the granita and sweetened whipped cream (see photo below).

If you love the flavor of coffee, this may be the most perfect warm, perfect hot weather dessert you will ever make. Granita virgins will be wondering why and how they had never tried it before.

Besides being a perfect ending to any meal or just a perfect end of day indulgence, one taste of this coffee granita might be enough to convince 'hot' coffee only drinkers to reconsider 'iced' coffee. But regardless, the coffee granita will make kindred spirits out of both the only hot and only iced coffee drinkers. The Venn Diagram validates this.

Recipe
Coffee Granita with Whipped Cream (inspired by Ina Garten's Coffee Granita with Sweetened Whipped Cream)

Ingredients
2 cups strongly brewed coffee (recommend Illy coffee or any other high quality medium to dark roast coffee)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Dave's Mocha Coffee Syrup (or 1 teaspoon of a coffee liqueur such as Kahlua or Tia Maria)
Sweetened Whipping Cream (one cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of confectionary sugar whisked until stiff peaks form)
Optional: Chocolate Espresso Beans

Directions
1. Combine hot coffee, sugar, vanilla and additional flavoring stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Pour mixture into a 9x9 pan. Place pan on a flat surface in the freezer for one hour. Stir to break up the ice crystals beginning to form and return back to the freezer.
3. Continue to stir the mixture every 30 minutes until the mixture has completely frozen and has a granular appearance (about 2-3 hours). Serve or continue to freeze until ready to serve.
4. Spoon the coffee granita into cups or glasses, topping or layering with sweetened whipped cream. Top each cup/glass with some chocolate covered espresso beans. Serve immediately.

Someone once said to me that I am not aware of all of the things I have bought, saved and collected over the years. Naturally, I vehemently deny this claim and maintain (rather strongly) that if any of these 'things' went missing, I would know. That claim may have been truer before I moved to the east coast for several years, leaving most of things behind in the house in the midwest. This temporary absence somehow managed to give way to an out of sight, out of mind memory rather than the previously committed to memory inventory I prided myself on having. It isn't that my memory is going (not yet anyway), it is possible I have acquired too many things to keep track of, to remember.

The other day when making the coffee granita and deciding on what to serve it in, I rediscovered the antique Mottahedeh Pots de Crème cups I had bought many years back at an estate sale. The thrill of finding a treasure at an antique show, flea market, or estate sale almost pales in comparison to the thrill of refinding it again, this time in your own house. Needless to say, the reassurance of remembering when and where you bought this treasure is enough to make you feel your 'selective' memory is still operational. But just in case anyone wants to test my ability to remember all of those treasures I have bought over the years (being a little competitive I would say game on), I should probably start making more 'permanent' memory space by getting rid of all of those other less than pleasant memories I have 'collected' and been hanging on to. The least of which would be those I still remember from when I was ten.