As cooler nights prevail along the Space Coast, we’re sweetly surrendering to the cozy comfort of Hot Cocoa Bombs, which can be customized to your level of chocolate love, and quickly assembled for family & friends.

These yummy, decadent, steamy cups of goodness are best enjoyed while watching old timey movies or sitting around a tabletop fireplace or outdoor chiminea on a cold night. Heck, who are we kidding They’re good even in the middle of summer, just crank down the AC to set the mood!

Hot Cocoa Bombs

Makes: 6 Bombs

You’ll need: Spherical molds Candy thermometer Parchment paper

Ingredients:
14 oz chocolate, 70% cacao 1 cup hot cocoa mix
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
With a large knife, chop your choc- olate into fine bits. Next, you’ll need to temper your chocolate(and finger wagging rarely works!). The easiest way to do this is in your microwave… just believe!

Make sure your chocolate is uniformly and finely chopped to avoid inconsistent melting.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate over medium high heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat again for 15 seconds. If the chocolate is still too chunky to stir smooth, heat for an additional 10 seconds. (If you overheat the chocolate, it will not set in the mold properly; aim for right under 90°F.

Photography by Harmony Lynn Goodson

Using a silicone mold (most common is half spheres, but I used decorative molds seen in these images) make the shells by covering in a layer of melted chocolate. Use a spoon or brush to make sure the entire surfaced is covered.

Place the molds on a tray lined with parchment paper that will fit in your freezer (to keep the mold flat and ensure even distribution of the chocolate) and freeze 5 minutes. Add a second layer of melted chocolate and freeze again for another five minutes.

Carefully remove the shells from the molds and fill with hot cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, sprinkles, or any other fillings you choose.

To seal the spheres into a bomb, heat a pan over medium low heat. Place the rim of a second shell on the heated pan until the rim starts to melt and then quickly use that as the glue to bind the two shells together. Place the whole spheres back in the silicone mold and repeat for remaining spheres until they are all completed. Freeze for an additional 5 minutes to fully secure the top to bottom pieces.

The bombs can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.

I For Snowflake bombs or other shapes:
Use the hardest chocolate possible for intricately detailed shapes. I recommend at least 70% cacao. Make sure to brush into all the nooks and crannies and give the sides an extra layer of chocolate. For the other half of the shell, simply make just the bottoms of the molds. This will make a cap instead of a double large shape. Remember that the thicker the chocolate shell, the slower it will melt and the richer the chocolate will be.

Boozy Version:
For an adult beverage, try adding a shot of bourbon to your hot cocoa! If you are gifting these, check for mini bottles of bourbon at your local spirits store.

To enjoy:
Place the bombs in a coffee mug or latte bowl. Pour hot, steaming milk on top and garnish with a peppermint stick.

Harmony Lynn Goodson

Harmony Lynn Goodson is an editorial stylist, content creator, and contributor for lifestyle and entertaining publications. She is a photographer for local restaurants and magazines via her business, Harmony Lynn Photography. Harmony also aims to inspire people who entertain to create lavish parties with her DIY tips and tricks which she enjoys sharing on her personal blog and social media accounts.