I'm trying to make a 'magic-shell' like topping from burnt sugar syrup by mixing burnt sugar syrup (sugar + corn syrup heated until dark copper color, cooked with water until smooth) with coconut oil. The idea being to serve on ice cream and have a crispy or at least hard shell that tastes like burnt caramel.
When I tried this the first time, the result was a layer of hardened coconut oil on the ice cream, and a pool of syrup at the bottom of the ice-cream dish.
It feels like I need a better way to keep the coconut oil and the syrup emulsified so that when the coconut oil hardens up the syrup is 'locked up' in the solid. Is there something that I can add to the mixture to encourage this happening?
Thanks!
Best Answer
Coconut oil isn't ever a 1-1 swap with dairy butter, which has a small amount of water in as well as compounds that allow it to emulsify.
If you're avoiding butter, try using a good quality margarine instead of coconut oil.
Lecithin granules work well. Add half a teaspoon at a time, whisking it or using a hand-blender. Agar and xanthan gum are both good emulsifiers but might cause it to thicken up a bit too much as a lot goes a long way.