Pantry Basics: Easy Chocolate Ice Cream Shell
It’s definitely ice cream weather right now! You would think that to get a thin coat of chocolate on your ice cream would be a simple matter of dipping it into some melted chocolate. Well, think again. I’ve made some spectacular mistakes. It doesn’t help that doing something like that in the sweltering tropics makes it doubly complex. But I’m happy to report that I’ve finally found a simple chocolate ice cream shell recipe that works: chocolate and refined coconut oil. I did try the venerable Thomas Keller’s recipe first, but it still resulted in a shell that was far too thick. It was the Chocolate Bombe Shell recipe from the fabulous Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams that did the trick.
And boy, was it worth the effort! Nothing beats having homemade ice cream enrobed in your favourite chocolate (save for watching your two-ear-old grin insanely while he’s trying to master licking an ice cream with one of these). Just a couple of tips: 1. Use a tall, skinny container for your chocolate when you dip your frozen ice cream pops to avoid having to make a whole lot more chocolate than you need. I have contemplated acquiring a Zoku Chocolate Station for this purpose. 2. Definitely use refined rather than unrefined coconut oil because the coconut flavour overwhelms the chocolate and the flavour of your ice cream (unless you happen to WANT that effect). 3. I’ve found that Philadelphia-style ice creams (no eggs) stay frozen far longer out of the freezer and are therefore much easier to coat in this manner. 4. A thick piece of styrofoam is useful for holding your dipped popsicles upright in the freezer. 5. Having an assistant to help you rush your dipped pops into the freezer is very useful.
Easy Chocolate Ice Cream Shell
From Jeni Britton Bauer.
For added flavour and texture, you can sprinkle chopped nuts onto the chocolate-coated ice cream. I usually treble this recipe when I coat 16 of these mini pops.
340g (12oz) bittersweet chocolate (60% or greater cocoa, I like Valrhona’s Caraibe)
⅓ cup refined coconut oil
Combine the ingredients in a bowl set over a simmering saucepan of water (the base of the bowl should not touch the water). Heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from the heat and stir until completely melted and perfectly smooth. Cool before use or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
To use, leave the chocolate in a warm place for 30 minutes or set the container in a bowl filled with warm water, stirring the chocolate occasionally.
About Su-Lyn Tan
Su-Lyn is Aun's better half and for many years, the secret Editor behind this blog known to readers simply as S. Su-Lyn is an obsessive cook and critical eater whose two favourite pastimes are spending time with her three kids and spending time in the kitchen. She looks forward to combining the two in the years to come.
Hi,
Where do u get your refined coconut oil from? I only ever see the unrefined variety. I love this ice cream book too.
Hi Sandra,
I use Aunt Patty’s Organic Coconut Oil which I buy at Market Place in Paragon. It is organic RBD Coconut Oil (RBD meaning refined, bleached, and deodorized).
Hi Su-Lyn
Can I please know where are your popsicle molds from? Thanks!
Hi Annabella
The brand is Silikomart. In Singapore, I buy them at Phoon Huat. I just did a quick search and they sell smaller sets on Amazon for home users (4 popsicles).