sherbet

What kid doesn't love rainbow sherbet? I know I loved it, but as an adult, I have found the store-bought frozen treat to be much too sweet and artificial. So I've skipped the ice cream aisle and picked up everything for my own homemade mango sherbet instead.

Sherbet is usually thought of as somewhere between ice cream and sorbet. Unlike ice cream, sherbet doesn't have eggs, and unlike sorbet, sherbet does have milk. Sherbet has a creamier texture like ice cream but doesn't take nearly as long to make since you skip making the custard.

Be sure to use ripe mangoes for better texture; to make it even smoother, strain the mango puree before you blend it. This light, tangy, and fruity mango sherbet is the perfect way to end a festive soiree — for both kids and adults alike. If you are ready to try your hand at a simple mango sherbet, keep reading for the recipe.

Spotting a wide array of frozen desserts at this year's Fancy Foods Show reminded me of a burning question that hasn't melted away: Are sorbet, sherbet, and sherbert all the same?

Despite the fact that the legal definitions of sorbet and sherbet could be used interchangeably, there is a distinction among American frozen dessert manufacturers. Sherbet — which is alternatively spelled sherbert — is a frozen fruit and dairy product that contains anywhere from 1 percent to 3 percent milkfat from milk or cream. Anything above 3 percent is generally labeled ice cream; anything below 1 percent is referred to as water ice.

On the other hand, sorbet generally implies a fruit-based frozen dessert with little to no dairy — although the use of the term sorbet is unregulated. To add to the confusion, in other parts of the world, sherbet may refer to a fizzy powder stirred into beverages, or a beverage made of diluted fruit juice.

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