Ice Cream vs. Gelato vs. Sorbet

[KrazedMom]

SUCCESS!

I used the above cornstarch recipe with a tweak or two (tweaking rules!!).

To the chocolate mixture I added about 2 tbsp cocoa and about a tsp of vanilla. I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker and let it go for about 30 minutes til it was really thick. It had a great deep chocolate taste and was very rich.

I think I am going to try a vanilla one next and then some deviations with fruit.

[merstar]

Glad it turned out well!

[KrazedMom]

Glad it turned out well!

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Me too! I'd love to try the egg based one for "an occasion". This one works out well for every day and one batch feeds the troops for one night. I have some cacao nibs from Scharffen-Berger; maybe I'll sneak a batch with those just for me!

[begpie]

Hi all,whats the difference between a sorbet and icecream,i have seen sorbets with milk in it,i thought sorbet was without milk/cream and eggs??

[Nathan Kurz]

Hi all,whats the difference between a sorbet and icecream,i have seen sorbets with milk in it,i thought sorbet was without milk/cream and eggs??

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Hi Begpie ---

That's sort of the point of this thread: there is no standard definition. If you read through the posts, you'll find that many people have different interpretations. I'd say that current American usage suggests that a sorbet is non-dairy, and that once you add milk or cream you have some kind of ice cream. Translated European cookbooks seem to have a broader definition of sorbet, one that means something like "without (much) cream or eggs".

Etymologically, sorbet and sherbet are the same word. In the US, sherbet is defined as containing dairy, while sorbet lacks a legal definition. Technically, a sweetened frozen fruit juice dessert is classified by the government as a 'water ice'. I presume that the many things are called sorbets because 'water ice' sounds clunky and unappealing in most parts of America.

Personally, I'm all for expanding the definition of sorbet to include all smooth frozen desserts, whether they have dairy or not. We don't have a good single word to do that in English. Take some lemon juice, sugar, and buttermilk and freeze it --- what should it be called? Calling it ice cream seems silly due to the lack of cream, and doing so commercially would be illegal. Sorbet is the best word I've found, and as it is legally unregulated one can call it that commercially without fear.

[tim]

Hi all,whats the difference between a sorbet and icecream,i have seen sorbets with milk in it,i thought sorbet was without milk/cream and eggs??

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Hi Begpie ---

That's sort of the point of this thread: there is no standard definition.

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Actually,

The USDA requires ice cream to have at least a 10% butterfat content. That eliminates sorbet, sherbert, ice milk, frozen yogurt, good gelatos, and low fat "ice cream".

Tim

[Nathan Kurz]

Hi all,whats the difference between a sorbet and icecream,i have seen sorbets with milk in it,i thought sorbet was without milk/cream and eggs??

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Hi Begpie ---

That's sort of the point of this thread: there is no standard definition.

←

Actually,

The USDA requires ice cream to have at least a 10% butterfat content. That eliminates sorbet, sherbert, ice milk, frozen yogurt, good gelatos, and low fat "ice cream".

Tim

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Good clarification. What I was trying to say is that in America "there is no standard definition [of sorbet]". If you want to call your ice cream a sorbet, you are legally entitled to do so, since sorbet does not have a legal definition here.

But as you say, calling your sorbet an ice cream and then shipping it across state lines is illegal, unless your sorbet happens to meet the USDA requirements for ice cream. For example, here's Oriol Balaguer's recipe titled "Cream Cheese Sorbet":

300 g mineral water

250 g cream cheese, 40% fat

75 g sugar

50 g invert sugar

2 g stabilizer

I haven't checked the numbers carefully, but I think it meets the USDA requirements for ice cream. He (or his translator) chose to call it a sorbet. How do you define sorbet?

[Natho]

I make my own icecream but i have absolute disregard for terminology. In my experience, people love to use/eat/talk about gelato because it's way more fashionable or whatever then chugging down some icecream. When i talk to people about icecream they say they prefer gelato and when i ask why and what is the difference they can never give me a reason. I don't care what its called. Its a frozen dessert made from varying amounts of dairy products that tastes awesome and thats all that matters. Proffesional manufacturers aside, if you only want to make one or the other then you are limiting your cooking based on rules that have no meaning. I've had people tell me without ever tasteing my stuff that i should make gelato instead because it's better. I therefore disregard whatever else they have to say because they are obviously an idiot. Just my two cents worth..

[Darienne]

SUCCESS!

I used the above cornstarch recipe with a tweak or two (tweaking rules!!).

To the chocolate mixture I added about 2 tbsp cocoa and about a tsp of vanilla. I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker and let it go for about 30 minutes til it was really thick. It had a great deep chocolate taste and was very rich.

I think I am going to try a vanilla one next and then some deviations with fruit.

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This post is two years old but I thought I'd try.

Thank you Krazed Mom for your tweaking. I just made the recipe myself and thought...hmmm this is really lacking something, but I have so little experience that I am not comfortable tweaking some things.

Then huzzah! I found your post, went back, pulled the mixture out of the fridge, tweaked it up, and yumm! what a difference!

Thank you, mille fois !