Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping

Remember the feeling of awe and wonder the first time you saw melted chocolate magically set over your ice cream, forming a crunchy shell? Now there’s no need to buy the bottled stuff, because you can make your own quick-setting ice cream topping. Just combine chocolate with a little vegetable oil. Nearly any type of chocolate—milk, bittersweet, or semisweet (but not unsweetened)—will work. It’s a fun and easy way to fancy up your next ice cream social. You can also swap out the vegetable oil for the more common coconut oil if you prefer.

Game plan:Drizzle—or pour—this over any flavor ice cream, gelato, or sorbet you like, or use it to dip frozen bananas. Or, instead of the labor-intensive process of tempering chocolate, use this topping as a quick alternative for dipping ice cream bars. Just remember to double this recipe to ensure that you have enough chocolate to coat all the bars; and note that while the coating will be delicious, it will not have the same crunchy snap as tempered chocolate.