Get ready for the festive season with Christmas bauble shaped hot cocoa bombs filled with a surprise chocolate and marshmallow centre!

Hot chocolate bombs have trending all festive season. These balls filled with a surprise marshmallow and hot cocoa centre are so fun and I NEEDED to recreate them. But as usual with my own little twist. What's better during Christmas time than a little sparkle. These glittery, metallic chocolate bombs melt away to create a delicious warm cup of hot chocolate, all while looking like a stunning Christmas ornament. In the blog post I've compiled all the tips and tricks to creating the perfect hot chocolate bomb that won't melt, fall apart, or crack while creating it!

What type of chocolate should I use?

Do I need to temper my chocolate?

When making chocolate decorations tempering is crucial. Your bauble might look amazing straight out of the fridge, but it will sink and melt at room temperature. Most people I know aren't too keen on the whole tempering business, because it is so fiddly and hard to get right. Honestly I can't be bothered half the time either because of the mess I make while doing it 😅. My tip is to use COMPOUND chocolate. Trust me this is a life saver!

What is compound chocolate?

Compound chocolate is essentially chocolate made from vegetable oil (or other oils) instead of cocoa butter. The reason normal chocolate doesn't set after being melted is because the cocoa butter crystals haven't lined up to their optimal structure. Compound chocolate isn't made of cocoa butter so we don't need to worry about it!

Compound chocolate isn't exactly the same as normal chocolate. Cocoa butter melts at a lower temperature than other oils, that's why normal chocolate will have a better mouthfeel when you eat it (the heat of your mouth melts it quicker).

BUT, since this chocolate is going to be melted by the hot milk anyway who cares!

This is going to save you so much time, stress and tears (yes I have cried over untempered chocolate). The frustration of tempering, re-tempering and then realising you have heated your chocolate out of temper once again, is a stress you don't need to experience. That being said there is a lot of cases when you do need to temper chocolate, so if you are interested let me know and I can do a post sometime in the future 🥰

How do I know the chocolate I bought is compound chocolate?

The easiest way to tell is by looking at the ingredients! If there is no cocoa butter, and a fat like vegetable oil in its place, then you've found it.

Tips on making the perfect chocolate sphere

There are a couple of tricks in ensuring the chocolate comes out of the mould easily, doesn't crack, and is nice and shiny!

Making the hemisphere

Make sure you cover EVERY surface of your hemisphere mould (it can be thick)
Turn the mould upside down and tap to remove excess chocolate
Place upside down on a sheet of baking paper to set (otherwise the edge is too thin and you will have a hard time joining the two halves)

This ensures you have a nice even chocolate shell!

Unmoulding the hemisphere

Place your chocolate in the freezer to set (This shrinks your chocolate a little, making it easier to remove)
Silicone moulds: Peel back the silicone to remove the chocolate, don't push the dome out (as this will crack it)
Polycarbonate moulds: Slide the chocolate out by placing fingers in the middle of the hemisphere and pulling up towards you

Handling the hemisphere

Use gloves. If you aren't planning on spraying or coating your bauble use gloved hands to keep the chocolate shiny. Fingerprints can cause the chocolate to look dull.
Move quickly! The longer your fingers are on the thin chocolate shell the more likely it is to melt.

Now you are fully equipped with all the tips to creating beautiful hot cocoa bombs, I can't wait to see all the amazing creations 💕.

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went.

Also, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!

📖 Recipe