How to make your own hot chocolate bombes

Fun to make and melt, as well as being mouth-wateringly tasty, hot chocolate bombes – also known as hot chocolate melts – are the gifts that keep on giving.

The excitement of pouring warm milk over a chocolate orb, then watching as mini marshmallows burst forth and it transforms into a delicious hot chocolate… it’s a thing a joy for both the young and young at heart.

With a few lovely ingredients, you can make them as colourful and creative as you  wish – and they’re really easy to put together. Let’s get making!

Step 1 – create the chocolate spheres

Place a heat-resistant bowl over a pan of hot water, and melt some good quality chocolate, stirring to make sure it’s smooth and evenly melted. We like to use Guittard® chocolate chips, and if they’re good enough for professional chocolatiers…

Using a silicone pastry brush, brush an even layer of chocolate onto each of the holes in our Silicone Mini Spheres Pan, and pop into the fridge to set. Once the chocolate has hardened, carefully turn the half spheres out of the mould.

Step 2 – add your favourite fillings

Add your fillings to a chocolate shell; you’ll need a good spoonful of your favourite hot chocolate. How much you add is up to you, but we recommend Charbonnel et walker Drinking Chocolate for a little bit of luxury. You could even try adding a drop of orange or peppermint extract to it for hint of festive flavour.

One of the best things about chocolate bombes is when the shell melts and mini marshmallows pop to the top, so don’t forget to add them!

For an all-in-one option, you can’t go wrong with our Hot Chocolate Flakes with Marshmallows, a delicious concoction of smooth mallows and dark chocolate flakes. Yum!

To make your chocolate bombe, carefully dip the rim of a chocolate shell into a little melted chocolate, and pop it on top of the filled shell, then leave to set.

Step 3 – pipe like a pro

Now for the fun bit! Melt a small amount of chocolate (we can never get enough!), or mix up some icing sugar and water to a pipeable consistency.

Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a writing nozzle, and swirl and drizzle to your heart’s content. We find that using a colour that contrasts with the chocolate shell stands out best.

And if the two halves of your sphere aren’t joined very neatly, who has to know? Pipe around the join, and cover it with sprinkles. Ta-dah!

Step 4 – add the finishing touches

Give your chocolate spheres some sparkle with a sprinkling of edible silk, or use the chocolate colouring kit to paint the surface and transform into colourful treats.

Hot chocolate bombes make such a lovely gift for any friends or family with a sweet tooth, and they’ll be all the more special as they’re made by your own fair hands.

Next, pop a couple into a cellophane presentation bag, close with a twist tie, and add a gift tag with instructions; ‘Pop into a mug, add hot milk, stir to melt… and enjoy!’ should do it.

It only takes a little effort to make your own hot chocolate melts, and we promise you it’s so worth it. But if you’re all about instant hot choc gratification, see our wonderful range of hot chocolate melts – there’s something for everyone.

And don’t forget to pop by our blog to find loads of creative new ways to enjoy a bit of hot chocolate heaven. Enjoy!