Natalie Wise - Hot Cocoa Bombs: Delicious, Fun, and Creative Hot Chocolate Treats!

Copyright 2021 by Natalie Wise

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wise, Natalie, author.

Title: Hot cocoa bombs: delicious, fun, and creative hot chocolate treats! / Natalie Wise.

Description: New York: Skyhorse Publishing, [2021] | Summary: 50 do-it-yourself hot chocolate bomb recipes for kids and adults Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021022044 (print) | LCCN 2021022045 (ebook) | ISBN 9781510767065 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781510768048 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking (Chocolate) | Cooking (Cocoa) | Desserts. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX767.C5 W57 2021 (print) | LCC TX767.C5 (ebook) | DDC 641.6/374dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021022044

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021022045

Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa

Cover and interior images by Natalie Wise; photos on by Jessica Jean Weston

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-6706-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-6804-8

Printed in China

Table of Contents

Introduction

Hot cocoa bombs are all the rage, for good reason. Someone invented a new way to enjoy chocolate, which is cause for major celebration in my book. But can hot chocolate really be that new? Can it really be surprising and intriguing, imaginative and beguiling, magical and utterly delicious? Yes, yes it can. Im here to help you create luscious, fantastical, beautiful, elegant, and chocolatey cocoa bombs your friends will clamor for, your children will delight in, and anyone lucky enough to receive one will think you are a master chocolatier (because you will be!).

Hot chocolate bombs, sometimes also called hot cocoa truffles or bonbons, are hollow chocolate spheres filled with dry hot cocoa mix. You place the whole cocoa bomb in a mug. When you pour hot milk (or another hot liquid) over the thin, hollow chocolate, the heat melts the chocolate bomb and anything inside the sphere explodes out of the chocolate shell into the liquid. Most bombs have hot cocoa mix, and then some combination of marshmallows, sprinkles, and all manner of other edible additions that you stir into the milk as well. Adding truffles or ganache as filling instead of a dry mix is another way to create different flavors and textures. Stir well, and youve got one extra-special cup of cocoa. Different, indeed.

Since round-shaped treats abound (cake pops, anyone?) and hollow chocolates (think chocolate Easter bunny!) filled with candy, cream, or treats are also popular around holidays, its no surprise that someone may encounter a chocolate bomb and not realize what it is. A round, hollow chocolate... great. Oh, it makes a rattling noise when you pick it up! How fun. My friend made this mistake when she was gifted two beautifully-decorated hot cocoa bombs without instructions. She bit into the chocolate ball, and was unpleasantly surprised by a cloud of cocoa powder, which is a messy but understandable mistake. Luckily she was able to enjoy the second cocoa bomb the proper way!

Making a hollow chocolate sphere may seem difficult at first, but the process is quite simple once youve done it a few times and have a few tools at hand. A half-sphere mold is probably the only new thing youll need to buy to get started. Of course, there are other options well discuss later, but silicone half-sphere molds are fantastic for beginners. Their flexibility allows you to easily pop the chocolate sphere halves out. Hot cocoa bombs are made in two pieces and glued together to create the full shape, either by melting the edges or by painting extra chocolate around the two halves and letting them set.

This two-half-sphere technique also allows you to add fillings, which might include sprinkles, edible glitter, golden edible pearls, or simply cocoa mix and marshmallows. Search the internet for sprinkles and youll see an entire world has evolved from what used to be two choices: rainbow or chocolate. Now youll find a dazzling array of metallic drages, edible glitters, sugar shapes of all kinds and sprinkle mixes with names that sound like song titles or nail polish colors. There is also a whole new world of marshmallows to choose from. Regular mini marshmallows will work just fine and create a classic hot cocoa experience. But tiny dehydrated marshmallows like the ones that come in a standard package of hot cocoa mix are a fun addition, especially for mini bombs, and they allow more room for extras. Dehydrated mini marshmallows can be ordered online or found in the candy-making section of a craft store. There are also flavored, filled, and shaped marshmallows galore! Be sure to plan ahead as youll probably want to special-order a few items for really unique fillings.

Once the two halves of the sphere are filled and attached, its time to decorate! This might be the most exciting part. A packet of hot cocoa mix can probably be found in every home. However, a large, shiny, stunning globe of chocolate elevates humble cocoa mix to coveted-gift status. Much like cake pops, the exterior of chocolate bombs can be transformed into an endless number of circle-shaped themes: colored, painted, coated, drizzled, glittered, and bedazzled.

Ive taken inspiration from everywhere to create a collection of unusual, unique, and surprising hot cocoa bombs. Not only have I included some of my local foodie friends and their expertise, Ive traveled the world (flavor-wise) to create flavor combinations that would hopefully make Zumbo (one of Australias top pastry/chocolate/sugar-chefs, known for his mind-bending creations) proud. From pop culture to Paris, from Mexicos hot chiles to Spains churros, and from sugar-sweet-magical-unicorns to a divine chocolate-lovers bomb, Im sure youll find a new favorite or a few here. Ive also included plenty of inspiration for you to create your own unique hot cocoa bombs. The ideas are absolutely endless, and I cant wait to see what you create, so dont forget to share ( on Instagram and #nataliewise on all social media platforms)!

Lastly, one little question: Is it a hot chocolate bomb or a hot cocoa bomb? The terms here are interchangeable, since the bomb is made out of chocolate, and has hot cocoa powder/mix