Festive Hot Chocolate Bomb With Hidden Surprises

These delightful hot chocolate bombs are all the rage and I can certainly see why!  A hot chocolate bomb is made of scrumptious balls of chocolate filled with cocoa powder and surprise treats. They are destined to be a hit with anyone who loves a comforting cup of hot chocolate.

What Are These Adorable Chocolate Bombs

They are the beginning of the best hot chocolate ever. A warm mug of hot chocolate is always a winter treat. Think of these as the richest all-in-one hot chocolate of your dreams.

Pour hot milk over these chocolate balls and as they melt, you will treat yourself to a steamy comforting mug of hot chocolate with a magical burst of marshmallows.

They are so adorable and make a fun treat for all ages. Let your imagination go wild because there are so many different flavors and ways to decorate these chocolate balls.

I typically just make candy for gifts, because I find them fussy to make. But since you can hardly find a ready-made hot chocolate bomb, I decided to make my own. I was thrilled that they were easier than I anticipated. You just need to follow the recommended steps and use a good quality chocolate.

 

What You Will Need

• Half-sphere baking molds. Silicone molds  work very well for this. The best size is approximately 2 inches to 2-½ inches in diameter.
• Chocolate with at least 35 percent cocoa solids. Couverture chocolate is the ideal melting chocolate. It has the higher cocoa solids, melts more smoothly and tastes the best. If you can’t find couverture, get the best quality chocolate you can find. You can make hot chocolate bombs with milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate.
• Hot cocoa mix. Use any brand or flavor of hot chocolate mix you prefer.
• Mini marshmallows.
• Decorative sprinkles or peppermints. (optional)

Steps For Making Cocoa Bombs

• Slowly melt the chocolate. Using the microwave, melt the chocolate in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
• Add chocolate to the molds. Pour about 1 tablespoon of chocolate into the mold. Using a small spatula, pastry brush, or back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolate up the sides of the molds. You want the chocolate to be thick enough to be durable, but not too thick that you can’t add at least a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and some miniature marshmallows.
• Cool. Place the molds in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or let stand at a cool (70 degree) room temperature for 30 minutes, or until set.
  • Note: If the sides of the chocolate do not seem sturdy enough after they set, add more chocolate to the mold and spread it up the sides until you are satisfied with the thickness.
• Remove the chocolate from the molds. Turn the molds upside down onto a piece of parchment paper and gently push the chocolate sphere out. If the chocolate isn't releasing from the mold easily, let them stand 1 to 2 minutes. Do not force them out of the mold as they could break.
• Fill molds. Arrange the molds, hollow side up, on the parchment paper. Add 1 rounded tablespoon of hot cocoa powder to the inside of one-half of the spheres. Add 5 to 6 mini marshmallows on top of the cocoa powder.
• Seal the spheres. Add approximately ½ cup of the melted chocolate to a quart-size storage bag and push the chocolate down into one corner to make a cone shape. Using a scissors, snip a tiny corner of the bag open. Pipe a line of chocolate around the top edge of the filled sphere. Place an empty sphere on top and gently press together to close the hot chocolate bomb. You can use your gloved finger to smooth any excess chocolate around the edges.
• Decorate. Drizzle chocolate over the hot chocolate bomb in any pattern you wish. Before drizzling the chocolate let cool slightly. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints or sprinkles. When decorating, I like to add something to the outside so I know what is inside. For example if I have added peppermint extract to the inside, I would sprinkle with crushed peppermints.

Tips For Best Results

1. Read all the steps before you begin.
2. Clean and thoroughly dry the molds and all your utensils. Even a droplet of water will cause your chocolate to seize up and not melt properly.
3. Wear kitchen gloves when handling the chocolate. This will make the chocolate easy to handle and less likely to melt the molded chocolate or make fingerprints.
4. Your room temperature should be cool when handling and when storing.
5. Melt a large batch (about 2 cups or more) of chocolate. Lower amounts will not retain their temperature as well and the chocolate will be less easy to handle.
6. Melt the chocolate until it reaches 120°F for semi-sweet or bitter-sweet, or 105°F for milk or white chocolate when tested with an instant read thermometer.
7. Reduce chocolate temperature. Let the chocolate stand until the temperature reaches 90°F before using.
8. When melting chocolate, always do it in short little bursts so you don’t overheat it. 15 seconds is the maximum of time you should heat the chocolate at one time before stirring.
9. Stir the chocolate slowly while scraping the outside of the bowl. This will help the chocolate melt by the residual heat of the sides and the already melted chocolate.
10. Coat the sides of the mold with a second layer of chocolate if sides are thin and fragile.
    Refrigerate the chocolate until the chocolate is shiny and releases easily from the molds. Do not rush this step.
11. Steam the Milk. For serving, make sure the milk is warm and not boiling. It needs to be hot enough to melt the chocolate bomb, but not be singed.

Variations

I love to cozy up to a warm mug of hot chocolate. A hot chocolate bomb makes it into a special treat. Try these other flavors for fun!

• Dark or White Chocolate: Follow the steps in the recipe except for the melting temperatures. 120°F for dark chocolate or 105°F for white chocolate.
• Peppermint: Add crushed peppermint candies or candy canes to the inside of the chocolate bomb and sprinkle some on top for decoration.
• Fall Harvest: Add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg with the cocoa powder.
• Salted Caramel: Use salted caramel flavored cocoa mix in place of the traditional. Sprinkle sea salt on top of the bombs for added flavor and to designate the flavor of the bomb.
• Double Chocolate: Use steamed chocolate milk instead of regular steamed milk for melting the bomb.
• Mexican Hot Chocolate: Add a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of chili powder, and a drop of vanilla on top of the cocoa powder. To spice it up more, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to each.
• Flavor Infusion. Add a drop of extract flavoring such as mint, orange, lemon, hazelnut, almond, coconut, peppermint or vanilla inside each cocoa bomb.
• Turmeric. Add a pinch or two of turmeric powder for warm, spicy notes with a health boost.
• After-Dinner Cocktail. Add a shot of peppermint schnapps, Kahlua, Baileys, or RumChata.
• Alternatives To Dairy. Instead of real milk, use almond milk, or another flavor you prefer. You can also use hot water in place of the milk, although your hot chocolate drink will not be as rich and creamy.
• Serving Ideas. Dollop with whipped cream.  Add more marshmallow 🙂 Add a cinnamon stick, peppermint stick or candy cane for stirring.

Notes:

• Not sure if your chocolate is the tempered properly (or if you don’t have an instant read thermometer)? Spoon a dollop of tempered chocolate onto a piece of parchment. Let it stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes. If it looks shiny and easy to snap in half, your chocolate is ready, your chocolate has been tempered properly!
• Sealing the spheres. Instead of piping the edges with chocolate to seal them you can do this: microwave a plate for about 30 seconds or barely hot. Using your gloved fingers, place the empty half-spheres on the plate for 2 seconds or until slightly melted. Continue with filling half of the spheres and then gently press the half spheres together.