As popular as ice cream is in these parts at this time of year, sometimes it's just too hot for a scoop of rocky road or mint chocolate chip sundae.

You want the refreshment of a frozen treat, but not the feeling of the creamy, rich treat weighing in your stomach that goes with it.

Try a light, fruit pineapple granita, or maybe a version spiked with
sparkling wine. Granita is an Italian-style icy treat - essentially liquid that you scrape or stir during the freezing process to create crystals. The French call it granite.

"I put it on the menu because a lot of people like to eat things that are not real heavy or for people who aren't big dessert fans," says pastry chef Malika Ameen of the critically acclaimed Aigre Doux in Chicago. "It's real refreshing after a meal."

Her pineapple granita starts with fresh fruit, as most granitas do. She then adds water, a little sugar.

"You can use any seasonal fruit; I really love to do it with fresh berries," Ameen says.

Strawberries, peaches, cherries, melons and lemons make tasty granitas; however, fruit is not a required ingredient. Some cooks make versions with coffee, chocolate, wine, vodka and rum.

"There are many flavors and variations that may be incorporated," says chef Phil Campanella, owner at , Regina's Ristorante in West Dundee. When using alcohol, he says, you need the proper balance of water, sugar and alcohol.
Water to freeze, sugar for flavor and to help the ice to break up, and alcohol so the ice does not freeze too hard.

"My favorite, and the ones my friends just loved, was the Mojito Granita," says David Lebovitz, author of "The Perfect Scoop" (2007 TenSpeed Press, $24.95). "Lime juice, fresh mint and a splash of rum. What's not to like?"

So what makes that different than sorbet?

"Most granitas have less sugar than sorbet, since sorbets need to have a certain amount of sugar to keep them from freezing too hard," says Lebovitz, former pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif. His book includes many recipes for granitas and sorbet, about which he says, "the sorbet recipes can make granite but I would recommend cutting the sugar in half."

Unlike ice cream, which requires churning equipment, the sweetened liquid goes straight into the freezer.

"I use a metal container for speed, but plastic works fine, too," Ameen says. "You could even stick it in a Ziplock bag. It's impossible not to do right."

I made some of the granita recipes included with this story and recommend using a metal, nonstick pan (you don't want the fork scratching the coating) when you are creating an alcohol-infused granita to encourage freezing.

Ameen says a fork works best for scraping and fluffing the ice. "It
shouldn't feel like you're eating hard ice," she says.

Most recipes call for letting the liquid rest in the freezer for about an hour (longer for spirited versions), then scrapping the crystals up every 30 minutes until you get an almost fluffy-looking consistency. Take note that this could take several hours. If you miss a 30-minute scraping, don't fret about it.

"Take it out and let it melt a little until you can scrape it," Ameen says. "Or if it melts down, you can refreeze it, or just melt it completely and you have a great drink. It never goes to waste.

"It's the easiest and most fun thing we do in the kitchen."