Coffee Granita and Coffee Ice Cubes

Two very simple ideas for hot days.

Coffee granita

Granita is a Sicilian classic, a little like a coffee slushie made by hand.

• 400 ml coffee, made with extract at drinking strength
• 60–80 g sugar, to taste

Stir the sugar into the coffee until dissolved. Pour into a shallow metal tray and put it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, scrape it with a fork to break up the ice crystals. After about 3 hours you'll have fluffy coffee ice. Serve it in a glass with a spoonful of whipped cream on top.

Coffee ice cubes

This is the simplest trick there is. Fill an ice cube tray with coffee and freeze it. Use the cubes in your iced coffee so it never goes watery. As they melt, they just add more coffee.

They're also lovely dropped into a glass of cold milk. Give it ten minutes and you have an iced latte that makes itself.