Valentine’s Day Hot Cocoa Bombs

Instructions

1. Heat pink candy wafer melts in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir well, and continue heating in 30 second
   intervals until the wafers are fully melted and smooth/creamy. Place the silicone sphere mold on a flat serving tray or baking sheet, and spoon approximately a tbsp of the melted pink candy wafers into three molds.
2. Thoroughly coat the inside of the mold with a small silicone spatula, or the back of a spoon. Make sure to make the edges a little thicker, so that they don’t break when melding together. If the candy is pooled at the bottom, spread again to evenly coat all sides, or your sphere will be less circular, and more flat on the bottoms from the pooled candy. Let set while you temper the chocolate.
3. Roughly chop ¾ of the dark chocolate bar. Place in a 2 c glass bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. The chocolate will look like there is hardly any change, but you will still need to stir the chocolate.
4. Return it to the microwave, heat another 15 seconds, and then stir again. Once it begins to look melted with a few chunks of chocolate left, insert your candy thermometer into the chocolate. You want your dark chocolate to be no higher than 90℉, or the chocolate will be untempered, and will have a chalky appearance with possible streaks of white. Once you reach your desired temperature, continue stirring until all chocolate is smooth and creamy with no lumps.
5. Spoon approximately a tbsp of the melted dark chocolate into the remaining three molds. Thoroughly coat the inside of the mold with a small silicone spatula, or the back of a spoon. Make sure to make the edges a little thicker, so that they don’t break when melding together.
6. If the candy is pooled at the bottom, spread again to evenly coat all sides.
7. Cool in the refrigerator for 1-2 minutes to set, and then remove. Repeat this process again to make a second layer of dark chocolate, again paying special attention to the edges. The dark chocolate is much thinner than the candy melts, so it's crucial to do two layers, or your sphere will crack and break when removed. Once all molds are fully coated, pop in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes for them to set.
8. Once set, remove from the refrigerator, and begin slowly pulling the mold away from the spheres on the sides first, and then lightly push from the bottom to remove them. You can either place them on the serving tray/cookie sheet, or I placed them on a piece of parchment paper for the next steps. Try to handle them as little as possible to avoid fingerprints, or melting. (To reduce fingerprint smudges, wear food safe gloves)
9. Place two small plates in the microwave and heat for approximately 20 seconds. Place a pink sphere open side down onto one plate. Twist it a little to get the edges slightly melted, and then immediately flip back over and fill with a heaping tbsp of hot cocoa mix, and about 5-6 marshmallows. Now place a chocolate sphere on the second plate and twist, and once the edges are slightly melted, place it on top of the pink sphere. You can twist them slightly to help meld them together. If you have any cracks that didn’t seal, heat a spoon in hot water, dry thoroughly, and use it to smooth around the seam.
10. Place the red wafers in the microwave, and repeat step 1 to fully melt. Once smooth/creamy, drape the sandwich bag over your hand, and fill with the melted wafers. Cut a very small tip of the bag with kitchen shears, and pipe lines back and forth, and criss-cross onto the chocolate side of the sphere. Next pipe a heart shape, and fill in the heart.
11. Immediately add heart shaped sprinkle quins to the inside of the heart. Press the sprinkles lightly to ensure they are attached. Let set for 2-3 minutes.
12. When you're ready to enjoy your hot cocoa bomb, heat 8oz of milk in the microwave, or on the stovetop. Place your cocoa bomb in a mug, and slowly pour the milk over it. Stir lightly to open the bomb and see the hot cocoa explode. Continue stirring until the candy wafers have melted, and enjoy!