The Italian frozen dessert made by freezing sweetened fruit puree into a smooth, dense treat is sorbetto.
Sorbetto is the Italian form of sorbet, a frozen dessert made from fruit, sugar, and water without dairy. Fruit may be pureed or juiced before the mixture is frozen. The result is generally smooth and dense, unlike granita, which is deliberately frozen into coarse crystals.
Sorbetto is often served as a dessert or between courses as a palate cleanser. Lemon, raspberry, mango, and strawberry are common flavors, although the basic technique can be used with many fruits and other ingredients.
Sorbetto should not be confused with gelato. Gelato normally contains milk and may contain cream, whereas sorbetto is dairy-free in its traditional form. Some commercial products can include stabilizers or other additions, so ingredient lists remain the best guide for dietary questions.