Melon Granitas, your grown up snow cone

We have reached the late summer (and hopefully a well-deserved break from the uncomfortable heat) and yet we have yet to talk much about ice cream or snow cones or sorbet or gelato.  Although it doesn't seem to fit perfectly in pastry-land at first glance, ice cream's root come from custard while sorbets, shaved ices, and more all fit well into the Sugar Love world and are the perfect complement to your summer barbecue.

So first in our series of icy summer treats, we'll begin with granitas.  Granitas originate from Sicily, though they are common throughout all of Italy.  They are similar to sorbets or Italian ice, but tend to be much more coarse in texture.  Your basic granita recipe requires sugar, water, and some sort of fruit flavoring that is partially frozen.  This is your basic recipe, but you can get much more creative by adding citrus zest, herbs, champagne or sparkling wines, liqueurs, and more.

This grown up snow cone has been featured in multiple food magazines in the past months- August's Food Network magazine, September's Bon Appetit, and the April Food and Wine have all paid homage to the fruity treat.  The recurrent theme you'll see is melons and citrus.  These two fruit groups play especially well together in a granita, and with melons of all kinds coming into season in the mid-west and mid-atlantic regions, what better time to whip up a melon granita?

Here are a few recipe ideas beyond what's linked above to get you started:

Cantaloupe Granitas     These would be delicious if served with a little bit of prosciutto as a complement.

Honey-Dew & Sake Granitas   Try adding a bit of fresh minced sweet basil to this granita. 

Melon Trio Granitas   Try mixing a little of each flavor into each serving cup and garnishing with a bit of zested orange peel.

One unique quality of this fruity, refreshing treat that we don't often see in our Sugar Love exposes is that it can be considered healthful.  You use a relatively low amount of sugar for many of these to allow the fruit to really shine through as the hero.  

I've yet to find a killer granita here in Pittsburgh, but I know they must exist somewhere.  In the meantime, visit your local farmers market to pick up a melon and try a melon granita recipe.   Or, just substitute for some Rita's Italian Ice and know that you are pretty darn close!