You need this simple magic shell recipe! Magic shell ice cream topping is so much fun to eat and tastes absolutely delicious!
We all love that satisfying "crack" when our spoon breaks through the yummy chocolatey shell! The most amazing thing about it is it only takes two ingredients and a few minutes to make it at home!
Summer and ice cream go hand in hand. There's no better way to enjoy a summer day than to come in from the heat and cool off with a great big dish of ice cream. It's even better when you can add toppings!
One hot summer day, our daughter set up a sundae bar at their lake place, and I pulled out all the stops and made four homemade toppings for them to try! The easiest one to make turned out to be the most popular, good old chocolate magic shell!
Magic Shell was invented in Australia and sold under the name Ice Magic. It comes in several flavors. In the UK, it's called Bird's Ice Magic and comes in several flavor variations.
Smuckers began selling Magic Shell in the US sometime in the 1980s. When we discovered it on the grocery store shelves, it was an exciting novelty for our daughters, who were just little girls.
They thought Magic Shell was the coolest thing ever!
The "magic" in Magic Shell is coconut oil. If you have ever had a jar of coconut oil in your cupboard during the summer, you have probably noticed it melts, at least partially. Coconut oil melts at 74 degrees, and at 70 degrees, it solidifies.
Coconut oil freezes at 25 degrees and changes to a hard lump like cold butter. By blending melted chocolate with coconut oil, we create a product that pours like a liquid when the air temperature is 74 degrees or above. This chocolatey liquid quickly forms a hard shell when it hits frozen ice cream.
Coconut oil imparts a lovely smooth texture and great flavor to the topping. You can use chopped chocolate bars or chocolate chips, but avoid using candy melts for dipping. I splurged on Ghirardelli chips because they are superb premium chocolate, making this homemade magic shell an extra special treat!
As the topping hardens, it changes from a glossy liquid to a crisp coating with a matte surface.
Combine one cup of a chopped chocolate bar or good-quality chocolate chips and about 1/2 cup of coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each 30-second increment until the chocolate melts and combines all smooth-like with the coconut oil.
That's it! Put it in a container, let it cool a bit before you pour it on your ice cream, then dive in, crack that shell, and devour it! You are done! If you want to add sprinkles, you have to hurry because Magic Shell hardens quickly!
I keep ours in a mason jar on the shelf because chocolate and coconut oil are shelf-stable. If you put it in the fridge, just let it come to room temperature. In a hurry? You can help it along with a little microwave time.
Chocolate Magic Shell is easy to make at home with two simple ingredients.
Don’t stop there, though. You have many more shell options if you want a little adventure! You can make any flavor of baking chips into a magic shell.
Butterscotch, cherry, cinnamon, or lemon baking chips would make tasty toppings. Nutella and peanut butter work, too. How exciting!
You can make your own ice cream “drumsticks,” too! Scoop ice cream into sugar cones, dip them in the magic shell, and add chopped nuts or sprinkles. Cut holes in an egg carton to stand the cones until they harden, then wrap quickly and freeze.
Don't stop there, though. You have many more options if you want a little adventure! You can make any flavor of baking chips into a magic shell. Butterscotch, cherry, cinnamon, or lemon baking chips would make tasty toppings. Crazy to think, but Nutella and peanut butter work the same way! How exciting!
You can make your own ice cream "drumsticks," too! Scoop ice cream into sugar cones, dip them in the magic shell, and add chopped nuts or sprinkles. Cut holes in an egg carton to stand the cones until they harden, then wrap quickly and freeze.
Here is another ice cream treat or family loves! Peanut Buster Parfait Dessert and watch for more because there's still a lot of summer left to enjoy!
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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Can a different oil be used ?
My reseach shows you can use palm oil or edible food grade cocoa butter. I have not tried either one.