Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Ingredients

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　three 3- by 3/4-inch strips of lemon zest

　　3 tablespoons instant espresso powder

　　softly whipped cream as an accompaniment

　　In a saucepan combine the sugar, the zest, and 1 1/2 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the espresso powder, and let the mixture cool. Discard the zest, transfer the mixture to a metal ice-cube tray without the dividers or th a shallow metal pan, and freeze it, stirring and crushing the lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours, or until it is firm but not frozen hard. The granita may be made 2 days in advance and kept frozen, covered. Let the granita soften lightly before continuing with the recipe. Scrape the granita with a fork to lighten the texture, divide it among 4 chilled dessert dishes, and top each serving with some of the whipped cream.