How to make a hot chocolate bombe gift set

Treat your friends and loved ones with a delicious hot chocolate bombe gift set

It’s no secret that we adore hot chocolate here at Hotel Chocolat. Warm, comforting, and full of delicious cocoa notes, it’s the perfect drink any time of day. Whether you’re preparing Christmas pressies or just want to treat a loved one, why not make the drinking experience extra fun with a hot chocolate bombe gift set?

What is a hot chocolate bombe?

If you’ve never experienced the joy of a hot chocolate bombe, then you’re in for a treat. And if you’re creating these delights for a lucky recipient, you might want to set one aside for yourself, too.

A hot chocolate bombe consists of a snappable chocolate sphere. Inside, you’ll find a centre filled with hot chocolate powder or flakes, marshmallows, and any other extras you fancy adding. The idea is to place the sphere in a mug and pour hot milk over the top. As the milk melts the hot chocolate bombe, it will melt and swirl into an irresistible mug of cocoa goodness, releasing the gooey marshmallows.

Fancy trying your hand at making some? Read on for our favourite hot chocolate bombe recipe and some gifting inspiration.

How to make a hot chocolate bombe

Hot chocolate bombes make an impressive gift and are easier to make than they might first appear. To make four filled spheres, you’ll need:

• 680g of good quality chocolate – look for bars with a high cocoa butter content, as these will give your hot chocolate bombes a glossy shell. We recommend using milk or dark chocolate, such as our rich yet mellow Supermilk Chocolate Bar or intense 70% Dark Chocolate Slab.
• 4tbsp hot chocolate mix – you can use powdered hot chocolate or go for some of our Hot Chocolate Flakes for a truly satisfying, indulgent drink. Milky 50% or Classic 70% flakes are great options.
• Mini marshmallows – or other small sweets that will melt well in chocolate
• Sprinkles or edible glitter – to decorate the outside of your chocolate spheres

You’ll also need:

• Silicone sphere chocolate moulds
• A thermometer
• Baking parchment
• A piping bag
• A small pastry or paintbrush

Hot chocolate bombe recipe

1. To prepare your chocolate, chop it finely, trying to get the pieces as small and even as possible.
   
2. Next, melt your chocolate — either in the microwave or over a bain-marie. If you use a microwave, be careful to heat in small bursts, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from burning.

3. However, you melt your chocolate, keep checking the temperature throughout, ensuring it reaches 32℃ (90℉). The thermometer is one of the key elements of a chocolatier’s toolbox!

4. Pour and spread a little of your melted chocolate onto some parchment paper, and chill it in the fridge for five minutes.

How does it look when you take it out? It should be shiny and snappable — this means your chocolate is tempered and ready to go into your moulds. If it’s soft or dull, then you can add some more chocolate to the mixture and melt it again, paying very close attention to the temperature.

5. Wipe the inside of your chocolate moulds with a paper towel, then use the paintbrush to paint a thin layer of chocolate in each half-cup (you’ll need eight in total). Chill in the fridge for five minutes.

6. Add a second layer of painted chocolate. Try to build up a strong edge at the top of the mould. Set for another five minutes or so in the fridge until cool.

7. Your shells should be ready to fill. Gently turn them out of the silicone moulds and add one tablespoon and a sprinkling of mini marshmallows to four of the sphere halves.

8. Melt some more chocolate (or use your remaining chocolate if it’s still hot), and use the piping bag to pipe around the edge of each of your eight cups. This will seal your spheres.

9. Sandwich each filled sphere half with an empty one. You can then roll your spheres in sprinkles or edible glitter to cover the seam.

Flavour variations

Plain milk or dark chocolate is a delicious way to make hot chocolate bombes that showcase those nuanced cocoa flavours. However, you could always try out some different flavours or variations.

Christmas chocolate bombes

For a festive option, you could use our limited edition Mince Pie Hot Chocolate flakes. As the chocolate shell and its contents melt, your giftee will experience aromatic cinnamon, juicy raisin, and spicy citrus notes, summoning Christmas in a cup. Decorate the outer shell with gold stars or red and green sprinkles reminiscent of baubles.

White chocolate

Alternatively, you could go for a sweet white chocolate option, creating deliciously creamy snowballs. Replace your milk or dark chocolate with top quality white chocolate and use Vanilla White Hot Chocolate for the centre.

Top tip: if you use white chocolate for your cocoa bombes, keep the temperature lower. Because of its high cocoa butter content, white chocolate has a lower melting point. So, to keep it glossy and crisp, don’t heat it higher than 29℃ (84℉).

You can even add a couple of drops of food colouring to your melted white chocolate mix. A dash of red colouring will give your hot chocolate bombes a lovely pink colour. Fill your spheres with heart-shaped mini marshmallows and decorate the outside with sugar hearts and sprinkles for a romantic valentines gift.

Bespoke flavours

Perhaps your loved one adores chocolate orange or salted caramel. Choose a Dark Chocolate Orange 70% Selector for your hot chocolate bombe shell or fill each sphere with Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate to tailor your gift to their individual tastes.

Building a hot chocolate bombe gift set

Now you’ve constructed your fabulous hot chocolate bombes, how best to present them? These hot chocolate shells may be a little delicate, so you want to make sure they don’t become squashed.

A nice way to present them is to pop them in a Kilner jar or glass sweet jar. Alternatively, you could wrap each individual sphere in decorative cellophane, tying a ribbon around the top, then present them in a gift box with a beautiful mug, and maybe even an extra little nibble — some biscuits to dunk, perhaps?

Include a helpful guide, explaining to the recipient how to turn their chocolate spheres into an irresistibly decadent and delicious drink. How do they do this? All they need to do is heat up their milk of choice — dairy or plant-based — in a pan or the microwave. They can place the hot chocolate bombe in their favourite mug, pour the hot milk over it, and watch as the mixture melts into a gloriously satisfying hot beverage. A quick stir will ensure every mouthful is brimming with smooth cocoa goodness.

Feeling especially generous? Pair your homemade treats with a Velvetiser, our hot chocolate station, to whip up your loved one’s milk into a rich and creamy texture at the perfect drinking temperature. 

However you present your hot chocolate bombe gift set, your giftee is sure to appreciate the gesture!