Homemade Choco Tacos

Summer as a kid meant tennis camp in Big Bear, shorts and tank-tops every single day, Wimbledon, and long, slow days spent mostly outside, playing hide and go seek until the street lights flickered on.

There were also lots of sleepovers where ten girls would pile in someone’s basement or room and we’d watch Sandlot and The Shining and Pet Cemetery, until a parent would force us to go to sleep already! And sometimes, in the middle of the night, we’d sneak into the kitchen and open up the freezer hoping for something awesome. My friends could always count on my freezer being full of lots of ice cream (dad’s favorite) and if we were really lucky, there’d be a few Choco Tacos; I always bought extra from the ice cream truck.

My internal 12-year-old self has always wanted to make Choco Tacos at home and it always seemed somewhat complicated. UNTIL NOW!!

For this post and recipe, I teamed up with the most delicious, decadent, luscious chocolate maker: Scharffen Berger. I used their 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chunks for both parts of this recipe.

When the bittersweet chocolate chunks melt, it’s like a dreamland. It’s silky smooth and perfectly bitter—not too sweet. I can’t wait to put them in my cozy chocolate chip recipe, coming soon!

I wanted bittersweet chocolate because the ice cream is on the sweeter side. The waffle cone is made with a little brown sugar to make the taco a bit chewier. This works in both flavor department and functionality. If the taco shell is too crispy, it makes it a little too messy to eat. The bit of chew helps with being able to take a proper bite out of the taco.

Another chewy thing? The fudge sauce that gets marbled throughout the ice cream. It is SO good and that’s thanks to the really good chocolate, paired with brown rice syrup. The fudge sauce has the perfect amount of chewy to it. Does that sound weird? It’s a little salty, too. Put it on everything.

The entire top of the taco is dipped in melted chocolate and then decorated with all the fun things! Sprinkles. Pistachios. And coconut flakes.

If you like, flex your creative muscles and put whatever you have in your pantry on top. Go crazy.

This recipe makes a good amount because in my mind these are party tacos. Ones you make the day before, store in your fridge and then blow people’s minds because they truly are so fun!

OH! And best part is you don’t absolutely need a waffle cone maker. You can make this taco shell recipe in a non-stick pan.

Homemade Choco Tacos

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serving Size: 16 to 18 choco tacos

Ingredients

Ripple Fudge No-Churn Ice Cream:

• Fudge Sauce: 
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3.5 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chunks
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• Ice Cream Base: 
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Choco Taco Shells:

• 2 whole eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 tablespoons milk 

Assembly: 

• 6 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chunks
• Sprinkles, for topping
• Chopped pistachios, for topping
• Coconut flakes, for topping

Directions

• To make the fudge sauce for the ice cream: In a medium saucepan, combine everything except the butter and vanilla. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, let’s make the ice cream base. 
• To make the ice cream: Add the heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk to the bowl of a stand-up mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Line a loaf pan or other freezer-safe container with parchment. Add about 1/3 of the ice cream base to the container. Smooth out the top and add a few tablespoons of fudge sauce. Using a knife, swirl the fudge sauce into the ice cream. Repeat the layers until you’ve worked your way through all of the ice cream. You should end up with about 1/2 cup of fudge sauce. Place it in the a fridge-safe container (lasts up to 1 week). Transfer the ice cream to the freezer until firm, about 4 hours, ideally overnight. 
• To make the choco taco shells: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, salt, vanilla extract and sugar. Mix in the flour until no specks of white appear. Pour in the butter and salt and mix once more until very smooth. 
• If you’re using a waffle cone maker, take the time to pre-heat it. Drop a tablespoon of batter onto the center of the maker. Close and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove immediately and transfer to the center of two layered paper towels. Immediately place the edge of a smallish book in the center and wrap the paper towels/waffle cone around the book, shaping it into a taco. Press on it for 1 minute, then remove and allow to cool completely. Repeat until you’ve worked your way through all of the batter. You should end up with about 20 choco taco shells. 
• To assemble the choco tacos: Line a baking sheet with parchment. Remove the ice cream from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for about 10 minutes. Using a teaspoon, spoon it into the choco taco shells and transfer to the baking sheet. Transfer the tacos to the freezer for about 1 hour. (This particular ice cream is sort of soft so it needs this long; if you’re using store-bought ice cream, then it will take less time to refreeze!)
• Meanwhile, add melt the 6 ounces of Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate chunks over a double-boiler or in the microwave (for about 1 minute, stirring at the 30 second mark). Dip the tops of the choco tacos in the chocolate; immediately top the chocolate with sprinkles, pistachios or coconut flakes. Transfer back to the freezer to refreeze for about 15 minutes or until you’re ready to serve. 

Notes

Good news! You can make this batter in a crepe pan. Add 1 tablespoon extra of water to the batter so it thins it out a bit more. Then add a tablespoon to the center of a crepe pan, spread it out into a very thinly using the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Cook on the first side for 1 minutes, and then flip; cook on the opposite side and then proceed with shaping it.

(This post is sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. This recipe used their 70% Bittersweet Chunks which are SO good. Scharffen Berger crafts the richest, most flavorful chocolate by sourcing the best cacao in the world, blending it in small batches, and gently processing it to maintain the subtle flavors in the beans. Be sure to check out their website where you can find a wide variety of baking chocolate as well as bars that need nothing more than a little unwrapping. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy Kitchen cozy.)