Vietnamese Coffee Granita

A simple dessert, only two ingredients, thought up while my sister and I were sitting at a local Vietnamese restaurant, Mai Lee, waiting for our takeout order. We usually pick up a curry dish, either chicken or vegetarian, and happy to report that the 5-spice pork was recently a winner for us, too. Love the green papaya salad. And though we haven't had one in a while, the mango with coconut sticky rice for dessert is fantastic- highly recommended.

While waiting, it is imperative for any of us to order a Vietnamese coffee. The coffee is not difficult in itself to make, but it's a treat we've reserved for sitting at the bar and waiting.

We're supposed to have a hot weekend, so I thought I'd give the idea a try.
This granita is creamier than the normally strictly icy but melt-in-your-mouth versions of most coffee granitas, but really, how bad can any sweet and icy coffee be on a hot day?

Serve dessert as is, or maybe turn it into something a bit more Italian with a little whipped cream and a chocolate-covered espresso bean or two.
But no matter what, a demitasse spoon will always make it last longer.

Vietnamese Coffee Granita
serves 6-8

5 c (1 L plus 200 ml) strong black coffee (In this instance I prep a strong French press brew.)
1 can (14 oz/379g) sweetened condensed milk

Mix the hot coffee and condensed milk in a large bowl and let cool. Pour the mixture into a large, flat freezer-safe pan (like a 9x13 inch), and place in the freezer until frozen solid (overnight may be best), giving a quick whisk or two during the process to make sure everything stays mixed as well as possible. 

Scrape the frozen coffee with the tines of a fork until it is completely broken down into icy flakes. 
Spoon into glasses  or dishes and serve as desired.