With cooler weather among us, now is the perfect time to start trying out cold weather recipes. St. Edward’s University hosted a hot chocolate bomb-making workshop on Oct. 21 in Ragsdale, teaching students how to make hot chocolate bombs just in time for the cool weather. 

Hot chocolate bombs are balls of tempered chocolate filled with various ingredients. They are perfect to stir in with a cup of hot milk or water on a chilly day, and are a great fun and tasty holiday treat and family activity. 

The first step is to assemble your ingredients and kits. Kits can be purchased online on sites like Amazon or Etsy, or at stores like World Market. Ingredients include hot chocolate mix, chocolate melts (can be white, dark, milk or any other chocolate you prefer), marshmallows and other ingredients of your choice (sprinkles, peppermint, caramel etc.). This is a great way to customize your hot chocolate and include whichever ingredients you will enjoy most. The next step is to melt the chocolate for about 30 seconds in the microwave. The best option is to use a microwave-safe mug or bowl. 

After melting the chocolate, you will use a spoon to spread about 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate into your molds. Make sure to spread a thick layer of chocolate so it is easy to remove them from the molds later. Freeze the chocolate in the molds for 5 minutes, as this will provide a spherical shape for the chocolate. 

After removing the molds from the freezer, carefully remove the chocolate from the molds. You should be left with a half-sphere of chocolate. . Next, assemble your ingredients inside the hot chocolate spheres. Ideally the order should be hot chocolate mix, marshmallows and then sprinkles or any other ingredients. Take the other half of your chocolate sphere and wait for the edges to melt a bit. Once the edges soften you should be able to place the halves together to create your full hot chocolate bomb. Place in a glass of warm milk and enjoy your hot chocolate! 

This activity puts a spin on hot chocolate, making it a fun activity for people of all ages. It’s the  perfect craft for a cold day or a lazy winter afternoon with family and/or friends. With so many ingredient options and combinations, everyone is sure to have fun creating unique hot chocolate creations.