2. Custom Hot Cocoa Bombs
For a fall or winter wedding, hot cocoa bombs are the favor guests talk about on the drive home. They’re hollow chocolate spheres filled with cocoa mix and marshmallows that melt into a mug of hot milk. The assembly takes practice, but the payoff is a favor that feels like an experience rather than a trinket.
Materials: chocolate melts or tempered chocolate, sphere molds, hot cocoa powder, mini marshmallows, optional crushed candy cane or cinnamon, food-safe bags, and ribbon.
How to make them: Melt the chocolate gently and spoon it into the molds, coating the sides thickly enough to hold shape. Chill until set, then fill half the shells with two tablespoons of cocoa mix and a small handful of marshmallows. Warm the rim of an empty shell on a hot plate and press it to a filled one to seal. Let them firm up, then wrap each in a cellophane bag tied with twine and a tag with instructions: “Drop into 8 oz of hot milk and stir.”
Time and difficulty: Two to three hours for two dozen, including chilling. Intermediate — the sealing step takes a couple of tries to master.
Customization: Use white chocolate with peppermint for a snowy look, dark chocolate with sea salt, or a flavored cocoa mix that matches your dessert table. Store in a cool room; heat and humidity are the enemy here.