Hows about a little how-to on those fabulous DIY cocoa bombs? Seeing as how these things are all the rage as of late, why not attempt a DIY version just in time for Valentine’s Day?
What you will need:
- silicone mold (large enough to hold 2T minimum of goodies)
- meltable chocolate (wafers, candy bars, chips)
- pre-mixed hot cocoa
- sprinkles (optional)
- mini marshmallows (optional)
- spoon or pastry brush
Prior to this experiment, I had never tried my hand at melting and forming chocolate in silicone molds. However, this was a whole lot of messy, melty fun! With that being said, the only silicone molds I had on hand were dog bone molds that I use to make our pup’s annual birthday bones. And although those would work, I’m not sure how appetizing putting a bone in a mug and covering it with hot milk might be for the youngsters (or for anyone really). So, I reached out to neighbors and friends and found circular molds as well as some deep heart molds (thank you, Beth and Mina!). I gave both a whirl and found that the simple, dome-shaped molds seemed to work best for me. But feel free to experiment and share what works for you!
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Where to begin?
- Melt your chocolate. I used hershey’s chocolate bars that I had laying around from Summer s’mores, and broke them up into a microwavable dish. I cooked them for 30 second increments making sure to stir between each set.
- Once your chocolate is melted, you’ll want to pour it into your silicon mold. Using the back of a spoon or a pastry brush, coat all sides of your mold with a decent amount of chocolate.
- Place your mold in the refrigerator or freezer (wherever you can find the space) for 5-10 minutes.
- Once your chocolate has set, remove it from the fridge and repeat steps 1-3 making sure your chocolate vessel is nice and sturdy and thick.
- Carefully remove your shape from it’s silicone home making sure not to hold it for too long as our body temp will surely melt the mold.
- Warm a plate in the microwave. You will use this to gently melt the edges of your mold so that you may fuse two shapes together once they’re full.
- After gently melting the edges, you’ll want to fill your mold with cocoa (~2T), mini marshmallows, sprinkles, sugar candy, peppermint… whatever you see fit. Keep in mind you’ll want to add things that will melt as it won’t be overly delightful to be drinking cocoa with chunks of graham cracker in it.
- Delicately press your two sides together keeping all the goodies inside. Once they’re joined, place your bomb back in the mold for stabilizing and then splatter or draw additional melting chocolate on the exterior. Sprinkle on your decorations while the chocolate is still gooey and melty.
- Warm 1 cup of milk in the microwave. While it’s heating up, place your newly made cocoa bomb in a large mug. Pour the hot milk over your chocolate mold and watch it melt. Stir and enjoy with a smile.
Tip: Be sure to store unused bombs in a container in the fridge. They will melt if left on your countertop.
Fun ideas to try for Valentine’s Day:
- White chocolate instead of traditional. Or perhaps you use it to decorate the exterior and really let those sprinkles pop!
- Make an adult version? I think Kahlua or Peppermint Schnapps would be pretty amazing encased in chocolate and throw into a hot cup of coffee.
- Strawberry Nesquik for a different flavor. Maybe try this with vanilla almond milk to make your own strawberries n’ cream?
- Instant coffee for the afternoon pick-me-up. Who doesn’t love a proper mocha latte?
- Reeses Peanut Butter anyone? Try mixing some peanut butter chips into your chocolate or or a few into the center of your bomb–or both!
- <Vegan> butter bombs filled with herbs? Ideally, they will be perfect for adding to soups or for plopping into freshly boiled pasta. I thought it could be a fun twist for those that are more into savory than sweet.
- Fill your dark chocolate bombs with traditional mole spices. Easy Sunday night sauce when added to some sautéed onions and garlic?
Hope this gets your creative juices flowing for Valentine’s Day! And please, if you’ve tried some other yummy combinations, savory or sweet, share them with us. And as always, have the very best and happiest Valentine’s Day!
