homemade gifts – Meghan E White

Hot Chocolate Bombs

December 17, 2021 meghanewhite

Hot chocolate bombs are the bomb. Pun intended. These gorgeous spheres of hot cocoa goodness explode with marshmallows and chocolate when hot milk is poured over them. It’s satisfying to watch the chocolate melt and reveal all the deliciousness from inside the bomb.

I’m late to the game with this fun treat. Hot chocolate bombs are so 2020. I say better late than never. I love trying new things, and I was determined to make these bombs. It was trial and error for me. I made some mistakes with my first batch, and improved my technique with my second go round.

I am not an expert on making hot chocolate bombs. I am a complete novice. If I can make them, you can make them too! The one thing you absolutely need is a silicone mold. I got mine from Amazon. There are ways to make bombs without molds, but I don’t have experience with that. I’m sharing the simple way I made them.

Hot chocolate bombs are delicious. The milk makes the cocoa extra creamy and flavorful. They make lovely homemade gifts. Who wouldn’t enjoy a ball of chocolate filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows that you made for them? Hot chocolate bombs are a fun unique treat to make and share. Make some today!

Happy Eating!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Hot Chocolate Bombs

Yield: 3 hot chocolate bombs (2 ½ inch sized)

Equipment

silicone 2 ½ inch semi sphere mold

parchment paper

pastry brush

latex gloves (optional)

saucepan

heat proof bowl

cupcake liners

rubber spatula

measuring cups

measuring spoons

Ingredients

6 ounces chocolate almond bark

3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix

¾ cup mini marshmallows

sprinkles, crushed candy canes, chocolate chips (for filling)

3 cups hot milk for serving

Instructions

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or use a double boiler.
Add one tablespoon of the melted chocolate to each silicone sphere. Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly in each mold, or use a small brush to paint the chocolate in the mold. Another method is to take the silicone mold with the melted chocolate and rotate it around until each sphere is evenly coated. Then place the mold upside down on parchment to let the excess chocolate run out.
Place the chocolate filled molds in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Repeat the process with one more layer of melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully remove each sphere from the silicone mold.
Heat a small teflon coated pan over medium heat for a couple minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Place each sphere on the surface of the warmed pan for a few seconds to smooth out the edges. This will help when you seal up your bombs.
Using a measuring cup, place one chocolate sphere on top to hold it in place as you fill it. Add 1 tablespoon of hot chocolate mix in the sphere. Then add about ¼ cup of mini marshmallows. You can also add crushed candy canes, or sprinkles. Just keep the edges clear so you can seal up your bomb.
To seal the hot chocolate bomb heat the small frying pan again, just enough to warm it. Place the chocolate sphere in the pan for a few seconds and then carefully place it on top of the filled sphere. Gently press down to seal the edges. Put the completed bomb on the backside of a muffin pan to let it set up. Muffin pans turned over are great holders for hot chocolate bombs.
Decorate with drizzled chocolate and sprinkles.
Heat 1 cup of milk just until hot, not boiling. Place one bomb in a large mug. Pour hot milk over the top of your hot chocolate bomb and watch it open up with marshmallows. Stir and enjoy!

Storage of Hot Chocolate Bombs

Keep your bombs in an airtight container at room temperature. They last for several weeks.

Use Gloves

To keep fingerprints off your chocolate use latex gloves when handling your chocolate bombs.

Tips on Chocolate

Baking chocolate bars, and chips can be used. These will need to be tempered.

The easiest chocolate to use is compound chocolate (almond bark, chocolate candy melts). You just melt the compound chocolate in the microwave, or in a double boiler and it’s ready. No tempering.

How to Temper Chocolate

Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Do this several times. It should be mostly melted, but there will still be pieces that are unmelted. Take it out of the microwave and stir until smooth and melted. To test if your chocolate is tempered pour a small amount of chocolate on a piece of parchment and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. If it’s shiny and breaks in half easily, it’s tempered. If it’s soft or dull it’s not tempered. To fix this, add a bit more chocolate and stir until it’s melted, or re-heat for a few seconds in the microwave until melted and smooth.

How to Use a Double Boiler

Place a small heatproof bowl filled with chocolate over a simmering pot of water. The bowl should not touch the water, but fit over the opening of the pot. The steam will melt the chocolate beautifully. Stir as the chocolate begins to melt until smooth.

I hope you make these fun, yummy hot chocolate bombs.

Merry Christmas!

Food

The Best Sugar Cookies

February 10, 2021 meghanewhite

These are the best sugar cookies, ever! You may not believe me. A sugar cookie is a sugar cookie. I disagree. I have had many beautifully decorated sugar cookies that taste quite bland with a dry texture. This amazing simple recipe is full of flavor with a nice soft texture.

My family absolutely loves these cookies. I usually make them for holidays and special occasions. I have zero decorating skills. My cookies are very homemade looking. But, they taste so good.

A lot of the fun of homemade sugar cookies is the decorations. My boys always helped when they were little. Each cookie was a tiny canvas for them to express themselves with icing and sprinkles. If you have kids they will love creating their own edible masterpieces.

I have used buttercream frosting, and a corn syrup based frosting. The best decorating icing is royal icing. It sets up perfectly for stacking and the decorating possibilities are endless. My cookies in the picture have corn syrup icing. It sets up similar to royal icing, but it’s much runnier. It’s not the easiest icing to work with, but I didn’t have the ingredients for royal icing so I had to make do.

You can find the recipe for royal icing here: Gingerbread Cookies

Enjoy this easy, no refrigeration required, sugar cookie recipe.

Happy Eating!

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°

In a small bowl add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Whisk together.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Add vanilla, almond extract, and eggs. Mix on medium high speed until combined. It will look lumpy from the eggs. That’s OK.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on medium high speed until combined.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Use your favorite cookie cutters and transfer to a baking sheet, and place them about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. The sugar cookies should be light in color. If the edges are brown they are over-cooked.

Leave the cookies on the trays for about a minute before removing them to a cooling rack.

Cool completely and decorate.

Notes:

If the dough is a bit sticky, just place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Oven temps vary so keep an eye on the first batch or two of cookies until you see how your oven cooks.

Place your oven rack in the middle so the cookies bake evenly.

Line your baking sheets with parchment for easy clean up. You can also just bake the cookies directly on your ungreased cookie sheets.

I always use salted butter for all my baking.

Sugar Cookie Icing

Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Directions

In a medium bowl blend sugar and milk until smooth.

Add corn syrup and almond extract. Beat until smooth and shiny.

Use food coloring to make whatever colors you prefer.

Notes:

This is very runny icing. The texture reminds me of white school glue.

Use a small amount on each cookie. If you put too much of the icing it will run over the edge of the cookies.

It will set up overnight.

If the icing is too thick add more milk and corn syrup in about the same ratios.

I usually just play around with the texture until I get the consistency I want.

Christmas, Food

Gingerbread Cookies

December 16, 2020 meghanewhite

You can’t help but smile when you see a gingerbread cookie smiling back at you. I have been baking all kinds of cookies for years, but I never made gingerbread cookies until now. My youngest son loves gingerbread so this was the year to make them. I’m so glad I did.

These gingerbread cookies are chewy, slightly crisp on the outside, with a nice soft interior. I do not like super soft cookies. I like my cookies on the crisp side. This gingerbread cookie is a good combo of both. The spice is not overwhelming, and there is just enough to know you are eating gingerbread.

Any child would have fun making these little people, and decorating them. I used a very simple royal icing, but you could just as easily use buttercream icing. Even big kids will enjoy decorating these cookies. Everyone will love this sweet spicy gingerbread cookie. They are really good. It’s a nice addition to your Christmas baking. You’ll be smiling too.

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup butter softened

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup molasses

1 egg

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

3 ¾ cup all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Line baking sheets with parchment or just leave them ungreased.
Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, using the paddle attachment until it’s creamy and fluffy.
Add the molasses and the egg. Mix on medium speed until combined.
In a separate bowl add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and flour. Mix with a whisk.
Gradually add the four mixture to the wet dough. It will be thick and sticky. Mix until combined.
Divide the dough in half, and wrap in plastic. Flatten the dough into disks. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour, up to overnight.
Roll out prepared dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately ¼ inch thick. It can be crumbly. Press firmly with the rolling pin but not hard. Cut out shapes with your favorite cookie cutters. Be careful as you transfer to your baking sheet. The dough can crumble easily.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. Larger cut outs will take about 10 minutes, smaller sizes will take about 8 minutes. Shorter bake time means softer cookies. Longer bake time means crispier cookies. They should be slightly brown and a little firm.
Leave the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cooling rack. They will continue to bake as they sit.
Once the gingerbread cookies are completely cool, decorate with royal icing and sprinkles.
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Notes:

Spray your measuring cups with cooking spray beforehand and the molasses will come out much easier.
It’s OK if your dough is crumbly. Just push it together when you roll it out. It will still bake nicely.
Adjust the spices and add more or less to your liking.
This recipe makes approximately 30 medium size cookies.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3 oz.) pasteurized egg whites

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, add egg whites and vanilla. Mix using whisk attachment for about 30 seconds until it’s frothy. Add powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Switch to high and mix until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks have formed. This will only take a few minutes. Add any food coloring and place icing in a pastry bag to decorate cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tips:

Add water if your royal icing is too thick.
Add powdered sugar if royal icing is too thin.
Let the icing sit out at room temperature for a bit after it’s been refrigerated.
Royal icing should completely dry in about 2 hours.
You need to work pretty quick when using this icing because it starts to harden up right away.
Add a different flavor like peppermint or almond.