Summer is the perfect weather to satisfy your craving for a frozen treat. The beauty of a homemade sorbet, or granita is its simplicity — a few ingredients go a long way. Best of all, they require little to no cooking time and use little energy.

For ways to manage electricity use and stay cool during the hottest months of the year, get a copy of Hawaiian Electric’s free "Cool Tips for Home and Work" brochure, available online at heco.com, at its customer service centers and eight City Mill locations across Oahu.

FROZEN BANANA BLISS

15 vanilla wafers (round cookie variety)

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 large bananas, sliced 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2-4 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place wafers flat side down on paper. Spread a dollop of peanut butter on each wafer and top with banana slice.

In small bowl, combine chocolate chips and milk. Microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between until chips are melted. Chocolate should be thick enough to coat bananas. Add more milk if necessary.

Carefully pick up wafers and banana and dip into chocolate banana side down. Wafer does not have to be fully coated. Carefully return to parchment. Sprinkle with peanuts and freeze until solid, 3 to 5 hours.

May be stored in a freezer-safe container. Serves 15.

Approximate nutritional information, per wafer: 110 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 3 g protein

TARRAGON AND BLOOD ORANGE GRANITA

1-1/2 cups water

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons firmly packed fresh tarragon leaves

2 cups fresh blood orange (or regular orange) juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Tarragon sprigs and orange segments, for garnish

In medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Over medium, cook until sugar is dissolved, 4 to 6 minutes. Add tarragon and juices; bring to simmer. Remove from heat, cover and steep about 30 minutes, until tarragon flavor is just right.

Remove tarragon and pour into ice cube trays. Freeze.

In a blender or food processor, pulse small batches of frozen cubes to coarse crystal consistency. Process all the cubes. Serve garnished with tarragon and oranges. Serves 3.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 300 calories, 25 mg sodium, 74 g carbohydrate, 69 g sugar, 1 g protein, no fat, cholesterol or fiber

———

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at www.heco.com.