When the mini ice cream trucks rattle down our neighborhood lanes attracting the kids with their unique chimes and chants , we know it is summer already. As the temperatures keep soaring, who can resist the temptation to dig in on cold,delicious,refreshing desserts. And when you can pamper your sweet tooth minus the guilt what else can one ask for. This summer,simply ditch the popular but fatty ice creams and indulge in  crunchy, yummy, healthy treats. You can whip up an amazing dessert with just two ingredients – fruits and the magic chocolate shell.

Chocolate shell popularly known as the Magic shell is surprisingly easy to make. It requires just two ingredients- dark chocolate  and coconut oil. We can make it with semi sweet chocolate as well but dark chocolate is my favorite not only for it’s refined taste but also for it’s numerous health benefits. It is totally up to you to decide the kind of chocolate you want to use here. The magic ingredient in the shell is – Coconut oil . When it is combined with chocolate and drizzled on anything cold it instantly hardens to form a shell.

Organic unrefined coconut oil has many health benefits which you can scroll down to read. Of late, much has been said about the harmful effects of refined oil.There are different kinds of  refined vegetable-based oils commercially available to us, including sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, soybean oil, canola oil,  safflower oil, corn oil and peanut oil.  Refining an oil to make it edible, odorless and have a longer shelf life, involves  various processes such as bleaching, steam distillation, de-waxing, deodorising,  degumming   all done with the help of toxic chemicals like nickel,sodium hydroxide etc, which are debilitating to our health and can cause various diseases in the long run.In addition, many refined vegetable oils are also hydrogenated which makes them solid at room temperature and are sold as margarine and shortening. This hydrogenation process damages the fatty acids in the oils, creating trans fatty acids, which are  dangerous to human health.Recently, Cold pressed oils have been pronounced as a healthy alternative to cooking oils by many health experts. They are known to be  unrefined , unprocessed, do not contain harmful solvent residues and comprise natural antioxidants that are beneficial for the body. Next time, when you are picking your oil off the shelf make sure it is organic,unrefined and cold pressed. Or better still, if you have the time and patience go to an oil mill and get fresh oil cold pressed right in front of your eyes, just like I did a few weeks back. Believe me, it is an immensely satisfying experience. The oil mill I went to, had a variety of seeds and nuts (peanuts,coconut, almond etc..) to choose from. This time,I opted for coconut oil as it  is best for medium-heat cooking and excellent for baking as it imparts a nutty and delicate flavor to the baked goodies. 

Now you know why I called this a healthy dessert option. So,this summer, ignore the ice cream trucks and make a bowl of chocolate shell and refrigerate it in an air tight container. Semi freeze your favorite fruits,dip them in the magic shell and enjoy an instant ,crunchy,delightful dessert-without a guilt 😉