These luscious cocoa-cream “truffles” melt in your tub, soothing and softening the skin. Toss one in your tub, sit back and enjoy the chocolatey goodness. Makes a lovely and decadent gift, as well.

Ingredients:
8 oz. cocoa butter
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons of perfume fragrance oil or essential oil
1 1/2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1/3 cup fine colloidal oatmeal

Equipment:
Small saucepan
Wooden spoon
Plastic chocolate molds or ruffled paper cups

Method:
If you will be using paper candy cups, set them on a cookie sheet before filling to make it easier to move them. Melt cocoa butter in saucepan. Add fragrance and mix well. Remove from heat. Add baking soda, oatmeal and citric acid, mixing thoroughly (mixture will be a little soupy). Use a metal teaspoon to ladle mixture into molds or cups. Let stand at room temperature until they begin to set (1-2 hours, depending on how hot it is in the room), then place in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes.

If using candy molds, place face-down on a sheet of waxed paper and hold your hand over the back for a few seconds, then flex to release. If they don’t release easily, return to the freezer for a while longer.

To use, add 1 truffle to a warm bath.

Makes approximately 60 truffles, depending upon the size of the mold. Recipe can be halved.

Notes:

• Make sure that any fragrance you use is approved for use on skin. Some synthetic fragrances can cause skin problems.
• Plastic utensils can absorb odors, so use wood or metal (and don’t use the chocolate molds to mold chocolate after you’ve made tub truffles).
• The truffles must be molded as soon as everything is mixed, and cannot be reheated (the oatmeal gets crumbly).
• Avoid making your truffles too large, or you’ll wind up with a “tub of sludge”.
• Do not eat, no matter how good they smell. (If you give these as a gift, make sure the label mentions that they aren’t edible.)

Supply Sources:
Cocoa butter, citric acid, and essential oils are available at health food stores or by mail order (look for suppliers of soapmaking ingredients). Chocolate molds and paper candy cups can be found at cake supply or hobby shops.