"Magic Shell" Ice Cream Sauce

Occasionally I like to indulge in a childhood treat.  Magic Shell is one I still enjoy because it reminds me of the “dipped” soft twist cones that Arctic Circle Drive-in used to sell.  On a hot summer evening I enjoyed ‘cracking off’ and removing the shell just in time to still enjoy the soft ice cream cone beneath it. 

We all know that in order for Magic Shell to become "magic" it had to have some pretty scary ingredients, but that didn’t deter me in my younger years.  Now though, I find myself feeling uneasy about ingredients I can hardly pronounce.  

Just for the record, Smucker’s Magic Shell lists these ingredients on the back of their squeezable bottle of pleasure... sugar, sunflower oil, coconut oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, sodium bicarbonate, etc...  Kind of takes the fun out of it - especially if you enjoy indulging in a small bowl often on hot summer evenings in August.

My oldest daughter found this recipe years ago when she was living in her college apartment of six girls.  College recipes usually surface because they save money - which this one does.  It caught my eye because it’s missing all the artificial ingredients.  But don’t get too comfortable with it’s innocence - it’s still loaded with fats - just different ones.  


My son-in-law and I see eye-to-eye about Magic Shell - it's the perfect ending to any day.  I look at it as a protective coating for ice cream (keeping those calories from escaping...)

If you like your chocolate shell thin, it’s best to heat it up till it’s quite liquid before pouring over your ice cream.  If not, it becomes Magic “Glop” instead of “Shell”.

If you still prefer the nostalgic “fake” flavor that the purchased variety has - use a mixture of 150 g finely chopped chocolate, 80 g refined coconut oil, and 20 g unrefined virgin coconut oil.   (Most of those ingredients have never crossed my kitchen's threshold). 

For this recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com