Emilie: I want ice cream!
Jonathan: Wait, what is this now? Is this a recipe post or just a list of your demands?
Emilie: Just expressing my general state of being.
Jonathan: Fair enough. So, just a vanilla ice cream, no toppings, right?
Emilie: Well we have some chocolate and coconut oil, maybe we can make chocolate shell real quick?!
Jonathan: Ooh, chocolate shell! Fond memories from childhood of shell as a great topping for a bowl of ice cream, though ours was always store bought.
Emilie: Yeah, it kind reminds me of those dipped cones from Dairy Queen. Those were my favorite.
Jonathan: My favorite thing about chocolate shell is the “magic” change from a liquid into a solid when it hits the ice cream. Delicious chemical state changes! And it turns out, you don’t need complicated additives to make it happen.
Emilie: Right, it’s just the high melting point of coconut oil, around 76℉, that creates the “magic”…and also your magical good looks…
Jonathan: … Thanks? That melting point means that once the chocolate shell turns solid after being chilled by the ice cream, it holds the shape. If you eat the ice cream first or it melts, then it’s like a chocolate skeleton that you get to eat at the end!
Emilie: Sure, I guess you could think of it like that, kind of like an ice cream negative space? Also, I would never let ice cream melt.
Jonathan: You do eat really fast. Though not as fast as it is to make this recipe!
Emilie: I don’t think you really need to measure for this. It kinda works with a range of ratios of chocolate to coconut oil.
Jonathan: It’s definitely a forgiving recipe. This version is designed to decrease the sweetness by sticking to the flavors of the chocolate itself. If you feel like you really need a sweeter version (literally on top of the ice cream you’re already eating), you could go with a milk chocolate or lower percent cacao.
Emilie: Oh, as a baker and rule-follower, I was expecting you to argue that one should always follow the instructions.
Jonathan: I mean, yes, obviously you should follow the recipe. Otherwise there’s no reason for it being there. But if you manage to screw it up in your zeal for consuming ice cream, you’re still going to be okay!
Emilie: Ice cream is hard to ruin, but super easy to make fancy with this three ingredient chocolate shell. Now back to where we started: ice cream time!
Three ingredient ice cream topping that hardens when poured over ice cream. Makes 3/4 cup.
- 4 ounces of dark or bittersweet chocolate 60-75 percent, chopped
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut oil
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Place chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe dish and microwave in 30 second intervals followed by a quick stir, until melted and combined, about 90-120 seconds total.
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Wisk in cocoa powder and let cool slightly
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Pour chocolate over ice cream and watch it harden as it touches the ice cream!
Chocolate shell can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several months. Just reheat it gently in the microwave until melted before using.
