Why should kids have all the fun when it comes to cold treats? Granita offers an adult version of the familiar sweetened ice crystals that kids long for during heat waves. Think snow cone, but Italian.

Granita is simply a mound of icy flakes usually flavored with fruit, tea, wine or coffee. The basic mix involves the main flavoring agent (fruit juice or puréed fruit, or other liquid), usually with the addition of a sugar syrup. You can strain the mixture or not, depending on your preference and the texture of the purée.

The mixture is then poured into a shallow pan and placed in a freezer where, as it gradually becomes frozen, it's stirred up with a whisk or fork to keep it from becoming a solid mass. What you eat are the resulting flakes of sweetened ice. A 9- by 13-inch pan works best to allow the mixture to freeze as quickly as possible (an 8- by 8-inch pan, filled full, will take a much longer time to freeze).

Granita can be made to the sweetness you prefer, but keep in mind as you prepare it that the ice, once frozen, will be less sweet than it tastes as you sample it initially (that's true for all cold foods, as cold dulls flavor in general).

Patience is a virtue when you're making granita. If you pour the liquid into a pan and freeze it, it will simply be a rock-hard slab, a giant Popsicle.

But break up those frozen crystals while they're in the chilling process and you're set to create big, flaky crystals of ice. Yum. Serve them up in a goblet, martini or wine glass or any small bowl. To keep the ice crystals cold for as long as possible, chill the serving glass in advance.

Once you know the basic proportions, you can experiment with flavors.