The hot cocoa bomb trend has hit Centre County. Where to find them, or how to make them at home

Whatever social media platform you prefer — TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, the list goes on — you’re sure to have spotted this growing food trend. Hot chocolate bombs have been a bright spot on a somewhat dismal winter, providing delight over the holiday season into Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day with their fun themes and creative flavors.

What exactly is a hot chocolate bomb? At their simplest, “hot cocoa bombs are chocolate spheres filled with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows,” said Tatiana Polay, owner at The Cakeshop by Tati. From there, the options are endless. Confectioners fill the hot chocolate bombs with different flavors of hot cocoa mix and marshmallows, sprinkles, crushed candies and other options to fit a particular theme or flavor profile.

To enjoy, just place the hot chocolate bomb in your favorite mug, add hot milk and watch as the bomb “explodes,” revealing its contents.

Melissa Stitzer, owner of The Cakery in Bellefonte, sells her popular hot chocolate bombs in a variety of shapes and themes.

“What makes ours special is that we jazz them up with fun sprinkles, edible glitter, etc., and even change the shape up, like the heart shapes for Valentine’s Day,” she said. The hot chocolate bombs are $5 each and new batches are offered in the shop weekly.

Lisa Rankin, who sells her hot chocolate bombs at Belle Mercantile in Bellefonte, with proceeds benefiting Salem United Methodist Church in Milroy, is already planning her Easter hot chocolate bombs.

“Mid-November 2020, I came across hot chocolate bombs on Pinterest,” Rankin said. “I enjoy making unique items, so I ordered my first set of silicone molds. They really became popular and, 700 bombs later, I am planning for Easter.”

Other decorations she’s had on the bombs include the Grinch and snowmen for winter, roses for Valentine’s Day and shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day.

“For Easter, I have an egg-shaped mold and will be offering free personalization,” Rankin said. “I will also be offering gender reveal bombs.”

If you can’t make it to a local shop to purchase your hot chocolate bombs, Rankin said it’s possible to make the trending treat at home, if you have a little patience.

“You must melt the chocolate to the correct temperature or it will not pour into your molds and set up correctly — I learned this from experience. This takes a while. Then, you have to get them out of the mold without cracking them. The edges need to be perfect, so they’ll seal together and not leak hot chocolate powder. Add hot chocolate and marshmallows to one side, seal with the top and decorate. It’s quite a process,” she said.

One of the keys to successfully making hot chocolate bombs at home? The right chocolate.

They’re “made by pouring good quality chocolate into a mold and letting it harden,” Stitzer said of her process.

Then you can fill one side with powdered hot chocolate, marshmallows, sprinkles, cookie crumbs — your pick.

“You can play around with flavors since there are many different hot cocoa options,” Stitzer said. “Then you attach the other part of the shell by either melting its edges in a hot pan and gluing it on or filling a piping bag with melted chocolate that you can glue the seam with. Then you roll that in sprinkles to cover the seam.”

Polay usually uses Lindt chocolate, because it’s easy to find in the grocery store.

“You will need to melt and temper the chocolate to create that shine and smooth finish. You will also need half-sphere molds (silicone or acrylic). I find silicone easier to use but sometimes it takes the shine off the final product,” she said. “I usually use one of my small brushes to help spread the chocolate inside the silicone mold and to cover all the spots; you want to have a thick coat on the rim of the half sphere to help attach the two halves.”

After the sphere halves have set and you’ve filled one half of each sphere with your hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, candy, cookies and other goodies, Polay suggested to, “heat up a clean frying pan or flat sheet pan, (and) use this to melt the rims of the empty halves just enough to be able to attach the two halves without using any more chocolate. Once they are glued together, you can decorate however you want. Sprinkles or a drizzle of chocolate are the most common options.”