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Are Chocolate Truffles Made From Truffles?

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Are chocolate truffles actually made from truffles? Does that mean this popular candy is a fungus?

Are chocolate truffles actually made from truffles? Does that mean this popular candy is a fungus?

The Short Answer

No, chocolate truffles are not made from real truffles.

The Long Answer

I adore chocolate truffles. They’re one of my favorite bite sized sweet treats. I also love truffles, a pricy type of fungus which greatly accentuates the taste of a variety of main course dishes from macaroni and cheese to filet mignon. But do these two wildly different foods share any common ground?

Nope.

While truffles did inspire the name of chocolate truffles, it is not because these sweet little bites are made from truffles. It’s because they resemble they vaguely resemble the fungus. Chocolate truffles are made from chocolate ganache, dusted with cocoa, and formed into a ball. No actual truffles are used in the making of this candy.

It’s kind of like how gummi worms aren’t actually worms (thank goodness), they only resemble them.

Want to try your hand at making your own delicious truffles? We’ve got a basic chocolate truffle recipe, Oreo truffles, and even truffle pops!

How to make rolled truffles

 

Do you love chocolate truffles? Do you love real truffles? Are you relieved they aren’t the same thing? Sound off and let us know!

Are Sherbet and Sorbet the Same Thing?

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Sherbet and sorbet are two popular dessert offerings, but are they the same thing?

Sherbet and sorbet are two popular dessert offerings, but are they the same thing?

The Short Answer

No, Sherbet and Sorbet are two totally different foods.

The Long Answer

When I was a kid at my grandma’s house, we always had sherbet. It was my favorite dessert. There was a fruity flavor mixed with a bit of dairy. I loved it. Orange and rainbow were where it was at, as far as flavors go. So, fast forward to adulthood. I’m at a wedding and we’re given lemon sorbet between courses as a palate cleanser. When I tasted it I said. “Oh, awesome, it’s sherbet!” I was quickly shouted down.

“It’s not sherbet, it’s sorbet!”

Well, that made me ask, are sherbet and sorbet the same thing? Is sorbet, as I had expected, just a snooty term for my favorite childhood dessert? As it turns out, no, they’re actually very different.

Sorbet is not that complicated. It’s made from just fruit and sugar. The fruit is blended, churned, and then frozen. Sorbet works well as a palate cleanser because it’s light, cold, and refreshing. There’s none of the heaviness associated with dairy products. Sorbet also has the distinction of being both dairy-free and gluten-free, so double score for those with allergies or special diets.

Sherbet is an entirely different animal. While it also contains fruit and sugar, a lot more goes into its creation. Sherbet contains dairy products, which make it creamier and a lot more like its distant cousin, ice cream. Sherbet can include cream, milk, gelatin, buttermilk, and egg whites. This is what makes sherbet so much richer than sorbet. By law, sherbet has to contain less than 2% fat, which makes it a perfect lighter alternative to ice cream.

Also, for my whole life, up until today, I’ve referred to it as sherbert…and apparently it’s called sherbet. So, there’s a bonus question answered for you all. and if you’re wondering what sherbert is, we answer that question in Is Sherbet Sherbert?

Where do your loyalties lie? With the refreshing, light, cleansing sorbet? Or with the rich, creamy, fruity sherbet? What are your favorite flavors of each? Sound off and let us know!

Is Sorbet Gelato?

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They’re both cold and often contain fruit. They’re both desserts. So, are sorbet and gelato the same thing?

They’re both cold and often contain fruit. They’re both desserts. So, are sorbet and gelato the same thing?

The Short Answer

No, sorbet and gelato are nothing alike.

The Long Answer

They’re both cold, they’re both scoop-able, and they’re both amazing in the blazing heat of a summer day. But that’s where the similarities between sorbet and gelato end.

These are two very different desserts, and they often have different roles to play in a meal. Let’s look at both sorbet and gelato one at a time and then compare.

Sorbet

Sorbet is nothing but water, fruit, and sugar. That’s what differentiates it from gelato and other forms of ice cream. There is no dairy in it whatsoever, which makes it light, refreshing and perfect for those who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Sorbet is usually churned up in an ice cream maker, so that might be where some of the confusion comes from. While something like ice cream or gelato would more commonly be served after dinner, sorbet is often used as a palate cleanser between courses, helping to erase the taste of the previous course without overpowering the taste buds before the next one comes out.

Of course, it can also be used as a light dessert. That’s what makes sorbet so versatile. The closest dessert that we can compare sorbet to would have to be sherbet, but it’s still not the same thing. As we detailed in this previous article on the difference between sherbet and sorbet, sherbet also contains some dairy, which makes it decidedly not sorbet.

Gelato

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, but it’s really not accurate to call it ice cream as we discovered in this piece where we talked about how gelato and ice cream are different. Gelato is custard-based, so it’s chock full of dairy. Because of this, it’s not safe for lactose intolerant individuals. However, gelato is lighter than traditional ice cream because it contains less milkfat.

Gelato is only ever really served as a dessert, as it is a great deal heavier than sorbet. The main difference between the two boils down to the iciness of sorbet and the creaminess of gelato.

So, just because something is cold and frozen and oftentimes served as a dessert, that doesn’t make them the same exact thing. Sorbet and gelato are as different from one another as cookies and cake. (There’s a future article!)

Is Gelato Ice Cream?

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Gelato has become a favorite summertime frozen treat, but is it just a fancy word for ice cream? What is Gelato, and what is ice cream? How are they alike and different?

Gelato has become a favorite summertime frozen treat, but is it just a fancy word for ice cream? What is Gelato, and what is ice cream? How are they alike and different?

 

The Short Answer

No, gelato is not the same thing as ice cream.

The Long Answer

I used to just think of gelato as a pretentious word for ice cream, so imagine my surprise when I found out that it was actually an entirely different food. Sure, ice cream and gelato share some common ingredients and they’re both frozen dairy treats. But there are enough differences between the two wherein you can confidently say that they are two very different foods. Speaking of which, we’ve done the research to see if sorbet and gelato are the same thing too so be sure to check it out. But back to ice cream and gelato.

Ice cream is made from milk, cream, sugar and egg yolks. All these ingredients are cooked together until they form a custard, which is then cooled and churned. This incorporates air and increases volume.

Gelato is made from a similar custard base, but it typically has a far higher concentration of milk and a lower percentage of cream. Eggs are most often left out of the equation completely. Churning occurs at a much slower rate, leaving the finished product far denser than ice cream.

Another key difference between gelato and ice cream is how they are served. Ice cream is served at colder temperatures, which allows it to hold its shape for a longer period of time. It is smoother, lighter and creamier. Gelato is served at warmer temperatures, making it softer than ice cream and easier to eat with a spoon. Flavored gelato’s ingredients tend to be far stronger than that of ice cream because it has a lower content of fat.

Is Sherbet Sherbert?

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Sherbet and Sherbert are two words you might hear around the dinner table come dessert time. But are they the same thing, or vastly different foods?

Sherbet and Sherbert are two words you might hear around the dinner table come dessert time. But are they the same thing, or vastly different foods?

The Short Answer

Sherbet is not sherbert. There is no such thing as sherbert.

The Long Answer

I knew this was going to be a fun one to write. As a kid I used to always go to my grandma’s house for dinner and for dessert she would give us “sherbert.” What we were actually having was sherbet. That’s the proper name for this popular frozen dessert featuring fruit juices added to milk or cream. So where does the word sherbert come from?

It’s a mispronunciation that has become commonplace in households all over the United States. The funny part is, my spell check underlines sherbert every time I try to write it, so it’s not even a real word at all. We touched on this one a bit in our article where we discussed the common question “Are sherbet and sorbet the same thing?”, but it was entertaining enough to me where I thought it should get its own entry.

Are Macarons and Macaroons the Same?

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Both of these popular desserts are spelled nearly the same except for one extra “O,” so are macarons and macaroons actually the same thing?

Both of these popular desserts are spelled nearly the same except for one extra “O,” so are macarons and macaroons actually the same thing?

The Short Answer

No, Macarons and Macaroons are not the same thing.

The Long Answer

This was a fun one, folks. I always assumed that macarons and macaroons were the same thing, just spelled differently. I thought it was some kind of regional spelling dispute, but alas your humble host was wrong, and not for the first or last time!

I was shocked to discover that macarons and macaroons are completely different from one another. They share some of the same ingredients but they vary on one core item. The main ingredient composing them.

Macaron is a French word. It’s derived from the Italian word, macaroni, and should not be confused with a feather stuck in a hat. (Patriotic music jokes!) Macaroon actually gets its name from macaron and was an English derivation of the French term. What’s funny is that despite the different spelling, Americans pronounce both of these words as “macaroon.”

Both of these cookie-like desserts are made from egg whites and sugar. Macaroons, however, use powdered sugar while macarons use regular sugar.

The main difference between the two, as I mentioned before, comes from their base ingredients. Macaroons are mostly made from grated coconut while macarons are made from almond flour.

Macarons are believed to have originated in Italy as a singular cookie and were brought over to France by a chef named Catherine de Medici. It was the French who had the ingenious idea of filling them with buttercream or ganache and adding a second cookie to the mix to make it a delightful little sandwich. (Some use fruit jam and it’s wonderful!)

Macaroons are believed to be an American twist on the French macaron, utilizing coconuts, which were a big item in the 1800s, being imported from India. Bakers loved working with it and they used coconuts to recreate the French macaron recipe.

Let’s go through a few of the other differences between these two desserts.

Macaroons are lumpy with a dense texture while macarons are typically smooth and delicate. Macaroons are incredibly sweet while macarons are more neutral. The macaron is easy and clean when it comes time for eating. Macaroons, on the other hand, are crumbly and messy.

Macarons are also a lot more difficult to make. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an art to making a good macaroon, but it only takes about 15 minutes. Macarons are made using a process called macronage, in which ground almonds and sugar are slowly folded into the meringue. It takes a ton of skill and practice.

So there you have it. Two cookies, both spelled eerily similar which are quite different from one another.

Which do you prefer, macarons or macaroons? Do you have a favorite macaron filling? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know.

What’s the Difference Between Crème brûlée and Crème caramel?

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Are all custard-based desserts essentially the same thing? Are crème brûlée and crème caramel just different words for the same creamy dessert?

Are all custard-based desserts essentially the same thing? Are crème brûlée and crème caramel just different words for the same creamy dessert?

The Short Answer

No, despite several similarities Crème brûlée and Creme Carmel are not the same thing.

The Long Answer

Custards are weird in that they’re pretty similar to one another. Crème brûlée and crème caramel are two custard-based desserts and they have quite a bit in common. One could even make the argument that they’re essentially the same thing.

I’m taking a different stance than those people, so fight me! (Please don’t actually fight me, I bruise easily.)

I feel like there are enough differences in ingredients and preparation methods to say that these two desserts are not the same thing and there is a difference between them.

Crème caramel is a baked custard which is cooked in a ramekin that is lined with caramel. Crème brûlée is also a baked custard with a nice crackly layer of caramelized sugar on top of it.

The mixing and baking process for these two desserts is very similar. The difference lies in the proportions of their ingredients, which is why I say that they’re not the same.

Crème brûlée is extremely rich. That comes from a lot of heavy cream and egg yolks. When you cook it, it comes out rich and thick which works oh so well with that sheer layer of sugar on top of it. Crème caramel is a lot lighter. It uses whole eggs, not just the yolks. It also uses both milk and cream. The egg whites go a long way toward making the custard firm enough to stand when it’s inverted out of its ramekin after baking.

If you’re at a restaurant and you see crème brûlée and crème caramel on the menu which do you buy? Do you agree with me that these are completely different desserts or are you one of those “all custards are essentially the same thing” people? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know!

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Christine Pittman

Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking – Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.

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