01 Sep 22

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Hot Chocolate Bombes

written by Claire James

Okay, so I know it’s not the catchiest title ever, but if you’re interested in the what, how and why of Hot Chocolate Bombes then you’ve come to the right place!

What are Hot Chocolate Bombes?

Hot Chocolate Bombes (also referred to as Hot Chocolate Bombs) first exploded onto the chocolate scene in 2018 – sorry, I just couldn’t resist!

These smooth spheres of chocolate are usually stuffed with marshmallows, which mushroom up to the surface once the chocolate has melted in a cup of hot milk or milk substitute.

Initially introduced using traditional milk chocolate for the spheres, Hot Chocolate Bombes are now widely available in many different flavours and chocolate types, including white and ruby chocolate variations.

Another twist for Hot Chocolate Bombe recipes may come from using different ingredients inside the bombe.

For example, some bombes include cocoa powder to help enhance the chocolatey taste, this is usually the case if the outer shell contains a lower cocoa content than higher quality chocolate.

Over the years, we’ve also seen bombe recipes include sweet spreads such as Nutella and Biscoff, to help add another layer of flavouring.

Here, at The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company, we’ve stayed true to our original creation and use thick Belgian milk chocolate with a 33% cocoa content to create all of our delicious bombe variations, which now include our Classic Bombes, Chocolate Orange, Mint flavoured and new Salted Caramel flavour.

How Does A Chocolate Bombe Work?

Hot Chocolate bombes work in a similar way to the chocolate stirrers we all know and love…

Simply drop one into your favourite mug or cup and pour over some piping hot milk (or milk substitute) to watch the bombe melt and the marshmallows ‘explode’ to the surface.

Once the chocolate has begun to melt, and the marshmallows have appeared, give your hot chocolate a stir to mix in the melted chocolate and enjoy a luxury hot chocolate experience in the comfort of your own home.

Do Hot Chocolate Bombes Taste Better With Milk Or Water? 

Generally, we’d advise hot chocolate bombes to be made with hot milk to give the most decadent hot chocolate experience, however, it is possible to use some bombes with water. As with many things, much of this is down to personal taste rather than a right or wrong way of doing things. 

How Much Milk Do I Need To Use To Make A Hot Chocolate Bombe?

We often get asked this question, and unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer as it depends on two factors:

1. How big is the mug/cup you’re using?

2. How strong/ weak would you like your hot chocolate to taste?

As a rough estimate, we’d say to heat approximately 200mls of milk (or milk substitute) for each bombe, as this will usually allow for the displacement of milk (or substitute) caused by the chocolate bombe.

How Do I Heat The Milk For A Hot Chocolate Bombe?

Again, this is entirely down to preference. Some people prefer to heat their milk in a saucepan whilst others will head straight to the microwave, either way, it’s important to ensure that the milk doesn’t burn during the heating process as this will taint the flavour of your bombe.

In the interest of research, I’ve tried both methods and I have to admit that haven’t been able to tell a difference between the two heating methods but whichever method you choose – remember the milk needs to be hot enough to melt the bombe but not hot enough to scald you.

If you’ve heated your milk and already poured it over your bombe, but not much happens within a minute or two, I would suggest stirring the mixture to coax the chocolate into melting more evenly.

Can You Eat A Hot Chocolate Bombe?

Yes, and no! Well, it depends on what type of chocolate bombe you have bought. 

Most chocolate bombes have been designed for drinking, so those that contain additional cocoa powder may not be the nicest ones to eat outright.

Flavoured bombes, such as ours, where the flavouring has been included in the chocolate, are fine to eat as they come – I know a certain friend of mine used to devour these straight out of the tube as she just didn’t have the patience to heat the milk!

How Do You Store Hot Chocolate Bombes?

As with most chocolate products, we advise storing chocolate bombes in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight and sources of heat.

Why is there such a price difference in Hot Chocolate Bombes?

The cost of Hot Chocolate Bombes can vary wildly, depending on where you buy them from, but it’s important to remember that not all Hot Chocolate Bombes are created equal. Here’s our 5-step plan to ensure you’re buying the best quality you can!

1. Check the cocoa content:

This is usually the first indicator of the quality of the chocolate, as the higher the cocoa content, the better the quality of the chocolate.

In the UK, all milk chocolate sold should contain a minimum of 25% cocoa solids, however, our hot chocolate bombes go above and beyond this offering chocolate with 33% cocoa solids to ensure a luxurious hot chocolate taste.

2. Compare the weight:

Another reason for a price difference may be due to the net weight of the product. The best way to check this is to take a look at either the product description or the ingredients page.

Each product page should detail either the weight of an individual bombe or the net weight of the complete product. The higher the net weight of a chocolate product – the more product you are getting for your money.

3. Is it finished by hand?

With so many modern manufacturing techniques around, it can be difficult to establish a point of difference between similar products.

Here, at The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Company, we pride ourselves on using traditional handmade methods wherever possible. All of our Hot Chocolate Bombes have been finished by hand by one of our talented chocolatiers and each bombe is then carefully packed into its protective tube to help minimise the chances of breakages in transit. 

Of course, using such traditional methods inevitably leads to higher production costs as we have more staff involvement at every step of the bombe production, however, we feel that this helps enhance the quality of the end product to ensure only our finest products are sent out.

4. Factor in the cost of packaging!

The cost of packaging is currently at an all-time high and although postage & packing is usually listed as a separate amount, this only accounts for the cost of the outer packaging used to send your product through your chosen delivery method and not the packaging of the product itself. 

When it comes to selecting the right type of packaging for our chocolates, we have many considerations to make including selecting only food-grade packaging. testing the strength of the packaging to ensure it offers the best possible protection during transit and creating an aesthetically pleasing gift for the recipient.

5. Check the reviews!

Nearly all websites carry a review system these days, so it’s always worthwhile taking a look at both the individual product reviews and reviews of the company as a whole, to see how other people have fared with ordering their gifts.

To view our full range of hot chocolate bombes, please click on the link below!