Magic Shell
Encyclopedia
Magic Shell is an American
dessert
product produced by Smucker’s. It is a syrup
that quickly hardens into a crispy shell when poured onto a cold surface, which is the origin of the product's name. The syrup is primarily designed for use on ice cream. It comes in several flavours, including chocolate
, caramel
, chocolate fudge
, cupcake, cherry, and smores in addition to two unique flavours—One, with chocolate, caramel, and pecan
s which the company calls "Turtle Delight", and a flavour based upon the candy bar Twix
, Hersheys, and Reeses.
In Australia, the product is made by Cottees, and is called Ice Magic. Ice Magic comes in chocolate, mint chocolate, honeycomb chocolate and strawberry flavours. It is not to be stored in a refrigerator as it may harden, and will not pour. If this should happen, however, the bottle can be microwaved (without the lid) or placed in hot water for a short time to return the contents to a desired pouring consistency.
The "shell" effect in Magic Shell is due to the presence of coconut oil
and sunflower oil
, both of which contain high amounts of saturated fat, and sugar which produces a chocolate mixture which is solid at higher temperatures than would otherwise be the case with normal ice cream topping. Contrary to what many people believe, paraffin wax is not an ingredient of Magic Shell. Many people have stated that it is paraffin wax which causes this phenomenon, but it would be impossible to know if this certain type of wax is even in the product. It is never listed under the ingredients tab of the Magic Shell product for one reason. The reason is that paraffin is not able to be digested by the stomach. In fact paraffin wax has been listed under section 756W of the FDA
's banned food additives list. Therefore it is illegal and ill-advised for a company to add paraffin wax to any edible product.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
product produced by Smucker’s. It is a syrup
Syrup
In cooking, a syrup is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals...
that quickly hardens into a crispy shell when poured onto a cold surface, which is the origin of the product's name. The syrup is primarily designed for use on ice cream. It comes in several flavours, including chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
, caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
, chocolate fudge
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
, cupcake, cherry, and smores in addition to two unique flavours—One, with chocolate, caramel, and pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
s which the company calls "Turtle Delight", and a flavour based upon the candy bar Twix
Twix
Twix is a chocolate bar made by Mars, Inc., consisting of a biscuit finger, topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate. Being somewhat smaller in width than other confectionery bars, Twix bars are typically packaged in pairs...
, Hersheys, and Reeses.
In Australia, the product is made by Cottees, and is called Ice Magic. Ice Magic comes in chocolate, mint chocolate, honeycomb chocolate and strawberry flavours. It is not to be stored in a refrigerator as it may harden, and will not pour. If this should happen, however, the bottle can be microwaved (without the lid) or placed in hot water for a short time to return the contents to a desired pouring consistency.
The "shell" effect in Magic Shell is due to the presence of coconut oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
and sunflower oil
Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil expressed from sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil was first industrially produced in 1835 in the Russian Empire.- Composition :Sunflower oil is mainly a...
, both of which contain high amounts of saturated fat, and sugar which produces a chocolate mixture which is solid at higher temperatures than would otherwise be the case with normal ice cream topping. Contrary to what many people believe, paraffin wax is not an ingredient of Magic Shell. Many people have stated that it is paraffin wax which causes this phenomenon, but it would be impossible to know if this certain type of wax is even in the product. It is never listed under the ingredients tab of the Magic Shell product for one reason. The reason is that paraffin is not able to be digested by the stomach. In fact paraffin wax has been listed under section 756W of the FDA
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
's banned food additives list. Therefore it is illegal and ill-advised for a company to add paraffin wax to any edible product.
External links
- Magic Shell at Smuckers' official website.
- http://www.chow.com/food-news/54102/how-does-magic-shell-ice-cream-topping-work/ Chow.com's explanation of how Magic Shell works.
- How much is inside a bottle of magic shell?