Granitas

• The most well-known of Italian ices, milk-free granita has a crunchy texture and flavor provided by the ice itself. To make granita, mix any flavored liquid, such as pureed fruit, coffee or lemon juice, with enough sugar syrup to sweeten the mixture. Pour it into a shallow pan and set it in the freezer. Scrape the mixture with a fork every 20 minutes until the entire pan is full of tasty, icy crystals.

Sorbets

• Like granita, sorbet is dairy-free and made with flavored liquid and sugar. The difference between the two is that sorbet is processed by machines and has a smoother and softer texture than granita. Italians sometimes serve sorbet in frozen orange or tangerine shells to match the granita flavor. To serve sorbet this way, wash empty citrus shells and slice off a portion of the top. Freeze the shells, spoon in frozen sorbet and return the filled shells to the freezer for another 30 to 45 minutes.

Sgroppino

• Served in wide-mouthed goblets as either a palate cleanser between courses or a refreshing dessert, sgroppino is essentially a slushy, with very soft ice and no milk added. It begins with a sorbet base, typically with a lemon flavor, but sometimes with other fruits such as strawberries or raspberries. The sorbet is then whisked briefly with Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine, to make a foamy, icy mixture.

Gelato

• Sometimes referred to an an Italian ice, gelato does contain cream. It is less dense than American ice cream because it contains less cream and fewer eggs and because it uses a slow-churning production method that incorporates lots of air into the mix. Served at a higher temperature than American ice cream, gelato is frequently served with a spatula instead of a scoop. It relies more on the flavor of the ingredients for its appeal rather than on richness.