Food & Drink/Food

Hot chocolate bombs are blowing up on TikTok. These ballistic treats melt in a mug of hot milk, dramatically exploding into cocoa powder, marshmallows and sprinkles. Christinn Hua from Toronto’s Millie Desserts reveals her secrets for making the explosive hit of this holiday season.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 40 minutes
Difficulty level: 8/10

Ingredients:

• 250g chocolate or chocolate chips
• 
8 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 
8 tbsp milk powder
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• Mini marshmallows
• coloured sugar and sprinkles

Tools: Silicone sphere moulds, like a tiny rubber muffin pan. Food paintbrush, though a spoon will do. Food thermometer, optional

STEP 1: Temper the chocolate by melting it in the microwave in 10-second increments, stirring in between. Heat the chocolate until it’s 90 per cent melted and looks smooth and glossy. Keep stirring the chocolate, using residual heat to melt the rest of the chocolate. If you have a food thermometer, aim for a temperature of 86 to 90 degrees F. Be careful not to get any water in the chocolate while tempering. If you overheat the chocolate and it becomes grainy, add a few unmelted chunks or chips and stir to cool the chocolate until it’s smooth and glossy again.

STEP 2: Using the back of a spoon, coat the sphere moulds in a thin layer of chocolate. Pop the mould into the fridge for 10 minutes. Remove from the fridge, then add a second layer of chocolate. Two layers create a stronger shell and ensure there are no holes. Put the mould back into the fridge for 15 minutes or until set. While the chocolate is cooling, mix the cocoa powder, milk powder and icing sugar together in a bowl.

STEP 3: Remove the chocolate from the moulds. They should fall out easily. If they don’t, they might not be set, so put them back in the fridge for a few more minutes. If the edges of the chocolates aren’t even, use a heated spoon to create a smooth, even edge. Use your upturned moulds as a stand to place the chocolate bowls. Add two tablespoons of the hot cocoa powder mix, as many marshmallows as you can fit in and decorations such as coloured sugar or sprinkles. Avoid handling the bowl too much to avoid leaving fingerprints or melting the chocolate.

STEP 4: Using the back of a spoon or a food paintbrush, apply melted chocolate to the top edge of the filled chocolate bowl and another empty bowl. Then seal the two pieces together to make the bomb. Use the back of a spoon to clean up the seam if needed, or use sprinkles to cover up the seam. The bomb will set after a few minutes at room temperature.

STEP 5: To serve, place the bomb in a mug and pour one cup of piping hot milk until it explodes. Be sure to use very hot milk, otherwise the chocolate won’t melt properly and your TikTok will be ruined.

TORONTO

Millie Desserts, 12 Oxley St., #101, milliedesserts.com
Stubbe Chocolates, 653 Dupont St., stubbechocolates.com
COCO XO, No retail address, cocoxo.ca

CALGARY
8 Cakes, 3411 20 Street St., #109, 8cakes.com
For Sweet Sakes, No retail address, forsweetsakes.com
Sweets of Paradise, No retail address, sweetsofparadise.com

VANCOUVER
Melt Confectionary, 3382 Cambie St., melt-confections.com
Da Bomb GooDies, No retail address, dabombgoodies.com
Van Isle Cocoa Bombs, No retail address, vanislecocoabombs.ca