Raspberry-Buttermilk Sherbert

This summer I've been on a homemade ice cream kick.  We have the Kitchenaid Ice Cream Maker Attachment and it's really getting some use.  But while I indulge in ice cream, I can't leave my husband without a heart-healthier frozen treat.  Luckily, there's a wonderful world of sherbert and sorbets out there, providing us healthy opportunities to harvest summer's best fruit in cold, crave-worthy treats.  Here's just one great recipe:

Raspberry-Buttermilk Sherbert

2 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups buttermilk*
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
As always, feel free to add Benefiber Powder to any recipe (to lower cholesterol)

Process berries in a food processor until smooth.  If you wish to discard the seeds (not necessary, but probably preferable) run the berry puree through a mesh strainer, like this one.  The puree will likely be too thick to work itself through, so add the buttermilk directly to the strainer and stir it up, then scrape the seeds out of the way and work the liquids down.  Stir in the sugar and vanilla.  Process in your ice cream maker.  Freeze until solid.  Enjoy.

*Buttermilk is a misnomer.  Buttermilk was the name given for milk left over after butter was churned.  It will be either fat free (I used fat free) or have minimal fat.  The calcium content is about the same as milk, and it has additional health benefits (good source of potassium, B12, riboflavin, and phosphorus).

Of course, raspberries are a superfood!  So ignoring the sugar, I actually don't mind giving this to my toddler as a treat!

For a slightly richer treat, substitute part of the buttermilk for heavy cream.  For a slightly more exotic treat, add a dash of salt and serve sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper.