Coconut Sorbet and Homemade Magic Shell (Vegan!)

Imagine the magic of a childhood treat... cold refreshing ice cream with a crunchy shell that you have to  crash through with your spoon to take a bite. Ahhhhhh.... Magic Shell! 

Now, somehow my adult self has avoided Magic Shell just because it seemed like there was no way something like that didn't have a million scary and bizarre ingredients. Then thanks to my good friend Pinterest, I found out you can make it yourself, at home, with only 2 simple ingredients.

Honestly, I'm not sure I am prepared to wield that kind of power.

But, now that I know this amazing secret for myself, who am I to keep it from you. So, here it is.

The pin I found for the topping was from the blog AlphaMom, and it looks like there is plenty of other good stuff to be found over there. But, first, I'm going to fill you in on the sorbet itself, because it's pretty amazingly simple as well.

Sorbet- what you need:
2 cans coconut milk (I used 1 whole fat and 1 light)
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/8 c sweetener (sugar or agave)

What to do with it:
Hang onto your hats, this is pretty complicated. Dump all the above ingredients into your trusty ice cream maker. Push "go". When it seems to be pretty well frozen, scoop it out and put it in the freezer in a tupperware. That's it!

"Magic Shell"- what you need:
1 1/4 c chocolate chips (if you want this to be vegan, then do your due diligence on your chip selection)
1/2 c coconut oil

What to do with it:
This is also VERY VERY COMPLICATED. Put the chips and oil together in a bowl in the microwave, and run for 1 minute or so until it's melted. Let it sit a minute then stir until totally combined. It's pretty runny at this point, but when you pour it over the ice cream it'll freeze right up!

This whole thing is kind of genius... basically, it's all capitalizing on the fact that coconut has a really interesting melting point (around 76 degrees). So, it you warm this up just a bit, it's melted, but as soon as it cools, it solidifies. You can keep it in the fridge and then warm it up a bit so you can pour some off to serve.

Overall, the coconut sorbet itself isn't too sweet, which makes it kind of nice and refreshing- plus, it's rich enough from the coconut milk to seem decadent without needing a lot of sugar. And seriously, there is something about whacking the chocolate sauce with the spoon that's just fun, that's all there is too it.