Twins separated by the creaminess quotient, sorbet and sherbet both offer low-fat dessert options to the health-conscious cook. Make them in the summer when seasonal fruit is plentiful from your garden or the farmer's market. Alternatively, you can create sophisticated versions in the winter from honey, liqueur and imported fruits. Most supermarkets stock sherbet and sorbet in the freezer section.
Sorbet
A dessert with roots that stretch back thousands of years to ancient China and Rome, the classic sorbet is made from fruit juice or pureed fruit. Some classic sorbet mixes include herbs, honey, liqueurs and even egg whites. Modern sorbet makers place the fruity mixture in an ice cream maker or directly into the freezer, but the ancients achieved the frozen treat by mixing the fruit and flavorings with snow.
Sherbet
Creamier than sorbet, sherbet is also fruit based. The main difference lies in its inclusion of milk. "The Nibble" says regulations stipulate that real sherbet cannot be made from cream or any milk higher in fat than 2 percent. Like sorbet, sherbet may include egg whites and other flavorings. The dessert's name traces its ancestry to charbet, a Middle Eastern drink featuring fruit juice and sweeteners.
Health
On average, both commercial and homemade sorbets and sherbets are lower in fat and calories than ice cream. A survey of frozen desserts compiled by the University of Utah's Office of Health Promotion found that most sorbet and sherbet brands contained between 110 and 120 calories in a ½-cup serving and had no fat. In contrast, regular ice cream products contained as much as 280 calories and 11 g of fat for the same-size serving. Most of the light ice creams, frozen yogurts and nondairy frozen desserts were all higher in fat and calories than sorbets and sherbets. But sorbets and sherbets were not lower in sugar. The brands averaged about 25 g of sugar per serving, while even some full-fat ice creams were lower in sugar, though still higher in calories.
Method
To create a classic sorbet, peel and puree your chosen fruit. Use a sieve to remove seeds and graininess from the puree. Flavor your mixture with sugar, honey, wine or chopped herbs and freeze the mixture according to your ice cream maker's directions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, place the puree in a freezer-safe container for at least four hours. The process for making sherbet is similar, except cooks use equal parts milk or yogurt and fruit puree or fruit juice.
Caution
While the classic definition of sorbet remains a fruit-based frozen concoction without milk, some commercial brands and restaurants use regional recipes that use milk or even cream in both sherbets and sorbets. If your are lactose intolerant or just trying to cut fat, read labels carefully when buying products, and ask servers to check with the chef to confirm the absence of milk or cream.
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