Summer and heat exhaustion tend to go together. So – in addition to taking supplements of various kinds, you often drink more cups of coffee. But coffee is boiling hot, so we usually opt for colder alternatives instead, of which there are many. The simplest is iced coffee. But for a more exciting idea, there’s sweet iced coffee, also known as il caffè del nonno (grandpa’s coffee).
Most often during summertime, coffee is consumed at a bar instead of at home. But sweet iced coffee is also easy to make at home. If you have friends for dinner, serving it at the end of the meal will make you their favorite host. Seriously, because il caffè del nonno is more than just iced coffee. It is a delicious dessert.
The Recipe: Il Caffè del Nonno (Grandpa’s Coffee)
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 1-hour rest in the freezer
Serves 6
Ingredients:
0.3 cup coffee (70 ml)
4 tsp sugar
1 ¼ heavy cream (300 ml)
Method:
Prepare the coffee using a moka or an espresso maker. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool. You can put it in the fridge to speed up the process.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, whip the cream after adding the sugar.
Once the cream begins to reach the desired consistency, pour all the coffee in, continuing to whip for a little longer, until you get a smooth and dense cream.
Put the mixture in the freezer for 1 hour.
After this time, stir the cream gently with a spatula, especially along the edges. Finally, take 6 small glasses and using a spoon, fill them with il caffè del nonno and serve with a straw or teaspoon (depending on the consistency).
Variants
Enrich the cream by adding other ingredients, such as Nutella or a coffee liqueur. And then there’s the kid-friendly version!
With Nutella
Once the coffee has been poured into the bowl to cool, add 2 teaspoons Nutella and stir until melted. Then let it cool. For the rest, proceed as described above.
With coffee liqueur
You can add 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur or whiskey cream to the coffee to cool in the fridge if desired. For the rest, follow the recipe.
For the kids (and adults, too)
It has been said that il caffè del nonno is (also) a dessert, right? Then, like any self-respecting (good) dessert, children have to like it. So, just use the basic recipe (perhaps adding some Nutella) with decaffeinated coffee instead so the little ones can enjoy it, too!
Serving il caffè del nonno
It is a well-known fact that, even before tasting it, you’ll know what flavors are present just by smelling and seeing the ingredients! So it goes without saying that presenting a dish well is very important. Here are a few suggestions:
Once you’ve filled the serving glasses with the iced coffee cream, decorate the top with a coffee bean, with a little whipped cream or a biscuit.
If you prefer, sprinkle some bitter cocoa on top.
The idea of spreading a little Nutella on the edges of the small glasses is also very tasty and visually impressive.
In short: A pinch of imagination is enough to amaze your guests.
Storage
Usually, there's never any left because the guests ask for an encore or even thirds.
It’s just that good and irresistible. But should there be any leftovers, we suggest putting it in the freezer. Or in the fridge, but in this case, it must be consumed within 4 days at most.
Main picture by Gran Caffè La Vecchia Scuola @la_vecchiascuola