Summer Baking Alternatives

It's the middle of summer and you're craving  homemade brownie or cupcake, Yet baking on a humid day van be disastrous. However there are still homemade sweets you can create to satisfy that sweet tooth.

One of the easiest sweet treats to make is the Italian ice granita. This is a crunchy ice  with only three ingredients - water, pureed fruit of any kind and granulated sugar , You could add a squeeze of lemon or lime if you want. The entire mixture is poured into a tray (preferably a  metal one) and then frozen for about thirty to forty-five minutes.Take it out of the fridge and drag a fork over the surface until it looks mushy and textured. Remember to keep breaking it up until there are no more large chunks. Pop back into the freezer for four hours before serving.A really decadent treat is coffee granita served with a side of whipped cream.Coffee granita can be made with instant coffee or espresso, depending on the strength you like. Just melt sugar and syrup together, add the coffee and a teaspoon of vanilla. Freeze the same way as you would for the fruit version.  Serve with a side puff of whipped cream and a light drizzle of chocolate sauce.Another sweet icy treat is ice cream. There are a lot of good no churn recipes, from Melissa Clark's peanut butter one to the ow fat one that has frozen sliced bananas as a base.

If you're still craving something as crispy as a cookie and as chewy as a brownie think Rice Krispie treats. This classic recipe is a super easy one , especially if you use the microwave. It's melting three tablespoons of butter with five and a half cups of mini marshmallows on high for three minutes. Pour into a greased pan, add six cup if the cereal and stir. Even out and flatten the mixture. Cool and cut into two inch squares. If  you want to make them fancy melt a mix of semi sweet chocolate chips and a tiny bit of butter in a microwave. Drizzle onto the treats. What is good about these Rice Krispie treats is that they can be also poured into round pans to create a cake. Layer on top of each other. Use the chocolate drizzle as filling and icing, then decorate with sprinkles or chocolate curls. Another sweet no fuss ideas is a pudding pie using an already made pie shell. Think a chocolate pudding spiked with a drop or two of mint extract in  a chocolate cookie crumb shell. Top with Cool Whip or Reddi Whip and add chopped Andes mints. It's also the perfect summer dessert too.

There are plenty of treats that don't require a hot oven to make. Settle with a cool sweet treat. It's a great way to combat the summer heat.