Cookies – The Ocelots' Den

Oh Happy Day! Welcome to Cookie of the Month

By Julia on 27 November, 2020

We are thrilled to announce our cookie of the month club! It has been a labor of love to figure out the best flavors and recipes for each month. What better way to let someone know you are thinking of them every month than cookies made with love!

Sugar Cookies

My Great Great Aunt Ina was one of my Great Grams’ best friends. We spent a lot of time visiting her as children. She lived in the country so we played out in the woods or we played card games and Rummicube. When we would come back inside, there were cookie tubs on a couple of low shelves in the mud room. We would all sneak some cookies on our way in as well as on our way out.

As I got older, my brothers moved to live with our mom. When Gram and I would visit Aunt Ina we would work on our crocheting and still play our games, but Aunt Ina realized my interest in cooking and baking so she would share her recipes with me and we would watch Martha Stewart on TV. I would marvel at the interesting cookies Martha made. (One cookie called for Wheat Germ and I’d never heard of such a strange thing).

While Great Gram was an excellent cook, and baked well, she only baked cookies for Christmas. (Side note, she baked ALL the cookies. Seriously, I don’t know how she did it. There were at least a dozen varieties so everyone had their favorites and she shared them with all four generations of our family, plus other friends).

Aunt Ina on the other hand loved to bake cookies. So she took the time to teach me about rolling out the dough. Cutting them out. How to flour my board or counter and my rolling pin. How you could use just about anything to cut out a cookie if you were in a pinch.

Her sugar cookies are truly magical. They are so light and fluffy. I used to use them for my decorated Sugar cookies because IMHO they are the most supreme sugar cookie in the world, but due to their rise and amazing texture they have a rounded top, which unfortunately isn’t ideal for specially decorated cookies. (For inquiring minds, my decorated sugar cookies are now between a sugar cookie and shortbread in texture and still have a delightful flavor. I’ve asked my favorite taste testers plus a few other people to sample to ensure they are still a high quality cookie).

My heart knew I wanted to keep these Sugar Cookies on my menu and were part of my inspiration for creating the cookie of the month club! Sugar Cookies are a truly classic cookie that I think are a nice palate cleanser for the beginning of the new year. They are like a delicious blank slate after the indulgence, decadence, and deep spice flavors of the holidays.

Chocolate Cookies

February is all about the chocolate and hearts. Whether you want to share with the ones that you love, or add some extra love into your own life. If I had to choose one sweet for the rest of my life it would with out a doubt be chocolate. I find it so comforting and often chuckle to myself when I think about the use of Chocolate after a dementor attack in the Harry Potter season, because when I make big moves, or need to do something out of my comfort zone a piece of chocolate makes the world right again.

A couple of years ago, I wanted to make some special St. Patrick’s Day treats for my office and the idea struck me. I know Rice Cereal Treats are a classic desert, but could they be made with Lucky Charms?

What would happen to the marshmallows that are already in the cereal? Would the melt into an ugly blob when they mixed with the melted marshmallows? Would I need to adjust the amount of marshmallows? Would they be too sweet? I became obsessed. I decided instead of continuing to worry or question if it could work or how it would work, I should just try and then make my adjustments.

My end result was a glorious treat! My colleagues loved them and even though I don’t like rice cereal treats (I know I’m an outlier here) I LOVED them too! I figured I would enjoy them since after all they were full of Lucky Charms, and they are my favorite cereal. (Want more info on my love affair with Lucky Charms? Check out my Lucky 13).

Now my colleagues ask me ahead of time, “when is it going to be Charms Treats time?” And that fills me heart with joy.

April

At least two of my favorite people have April Birthdays and I have spent most of my adult life living far away from my family. College and then off into the Army all over the world, and now I’m in Virginia where I don’t have any of my familial connections. For my local family (especially my nephews) I bake them cakes. As a micro business, I don’t know how to ship a cake in the mail and it seems cost prohibitive on a small scale. So I have developed Birthday Cake Cookies!! I CAN ship cookies in the mail!

I have 13 nieflings (nieces and nephews) and I love them all SO very much. Even the ones I haven’t met, from the time I learn about them, they have a place in their auntie’s heart the same as the neiflings that I do know have have relationships with. I truly wish I could fly home for each one of their birthdays and bake them cakes. I did bake the Irish Twins a birthday cake for their 2/3 birthdays TEN years ago because I happened to be home on leave, but the timing hasn’t lined up since. (Plus now there are just so many babies 😍🥰 which is an amazing blessing, but since I have a FT career as well, it only allows 10 vacation days per year).

May

After a piece of chocolate, I think what Moms really want is something a little sweet and sour. Light and Crisp to usher in spring and celebrate Mother’s day. Lemon crinkles are packed with flavor and pop! They pair well with a cup of tea (hot or iced, sweet or unsweet). Delicate but substatial. Cookies that bring loads of bright cheeriness with each bite!

June

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are another classic cookie that I couldn’t resist including. They are one of the first cookies I learned to bake and they are hearty and wholesome. The only compaint I ever have with Oatmeal Raisin Cookies is when I pick one up, take a bite, thinking they are chocolate chip and I am quite offended! So never fear! These cookies will be properly labeled so they won’t be Chocolate Chip imposters. You will know they are delightful Oatmeal Raisin. I include a light sprinkle of seasonings to deepen their flavor profile and tantilize the tastebuds!

July

For those of you that don’t know, my birthday is July 1st and my favorite cookie (if I could only choose one forever) is Chocolate Chip Cookies! They are the first cookie I learned to bake on my own. They aren’t something we had in our house growing up (other than Kebler Soft Batch) and I was obsessed with making them (and Brownies). It is one of the recipes that while I have tweaked the levening and seasoning and my preparation method over the years, I have the recipe memorized. I can do it without really thinking. I also love the dough youmake for chocolate chip cookies because it is so easy to change up the flavors. Add nuts, add different flavors of chips, add candy, addspices, sprinkle infused sea salts!

For our Cookie of the Month version, it will be my classic recipe using high quality Dark Chocolate Chips. Once you have your cookies to the texture you like, the quality of the chocolate is the most important factor. I grew up using all the most cost effective store brands or the classic brand of chocolate chips that everyone knows and loves and then 6 years ago when I moved to Virginia, I splurged on a fancy bag of chocolate chips and I’ve never looked back. (Well except in desperate times when I couldn’t get any other chocolate! But even then, sometimes I buy chocolate bars). (This philosophy on high quality and dark chocolate is also applied to our Ocelot Bombs).

August

Peanut Butter Cookies are another one of the cookies that were one of my first favorites to make. I was intimidated by roll out cookies and I love the variety of patterns you can make ontop of them. Classic crisscross with a fork, or using various cookie stamps for other fun!

I use a smooth creamy peanut butter for the cookie of the month. They are rich and comforting, perfect for back to school!

September

With the cooler weather, it’s the perfect time for some S’mores. As you probably know I LOVE making marshmallows and I love eating chocolate. Well, the perfect treat for a cozy autumn is a S’more. I make homemade Graham Crackers with a little bit of cinnamon and spices. Then I pipe on fresh homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallows and add some decadent dark chocolate.

October

I am a bit Halloween obsessed. So in October I turn my Monster Cookies into little monsters by adding some eyes while they are baking!

If you are less familiar with the flavor of a Monster Cookie, it’s like a Peanut Butter Cookie, Oatmeal Cookie, and Chocolate Chip Cookie had the most delightful baby!!!! I packaged them up and included them in my treat bnags for Halloween this year and the kids in my neighborhood loved them! (Daniel was also really dissappointed that he didn’t get to eat as many as he would have liked).

November

No Bake Cookies were my first forway into using the stovetop to make sweets. We didn’t have home economics when I was school, but we had an effective living course where we cooked on Fridays. I made this recipe over and over and over. There is still something truly comforting about each bite!

December

I wanted to end the year as it began. With a family recipe from my Great Great Aunt Ina. She always believed in me and encouraged me. I loved that she made even more homemade things than my Great Gram did. (She made her own soap, we used to save our bacon renederings to give her. She also made her own wine). There are many generations of incredible women in my family, and I am so appreciative of the experiances and memories with them.

Details

Our Cookie of the Month Club can be purchased each month. It guarantees you a savings compared to ordering them from our cookies by the dozen menu.

It is also available in 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month packages which is excellent to give as a gift or to treat yourself to wonderful cookies for that duration.

It is a one-time purchase. Recurring charges will not be applied to your card.

We are now shipping within the U.S. Please choose the correct item for online ordering if you would like them to be shipped or if you would prefer to pick them up.

Our shipping is a flat rate of $5.50 per order. We are a micro-business and at our current scale this is the best we can do. If you would like a larger order to one location (ie. 2 dozen a month), please email me and I can create a custom shipping label for your purchase.

Lucky 13: The Thrilling Quest for Magical Cookies

By Julia on 9 March, 2020

I have been having a blast designing and creating Thirteen Charms for my March special. Not only is this the month of St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s also the first Friday the 13th of the year! Every day, for the first 13 days of March, I’ll be showcasing each Charm; I turned into a set of cookie-cutters if it doesn’t have you skipping around singing, “Hearts, stars, clovers, horseshoes, and blue moons. Unicorns*, rainbows, and tasty red balloons” I don’t know what else could. 😊

Leprechaun Magic

Lucky the Leprechaun (arguably the most famous Leprechaun) was gifted four magical charms by his dad; the Heart, Star, Clover, and Moon. His job is to spread magic around the world. Lucky is a harmless yet mischievous leprechaun and knows our world could use more than magic.

I hope to help Lucky in his endeavors by spreading more magic by stirring the joy within our nostalgic hearts. Lucky Charms are my favorite cereal. I thought I knew the shapes. I could sing the song. (There have been a couple of iterations because of new charms and discontinued charms). Little did I know how much I would learn about the magical world where Lucky lives!

The Charms

I started out looking at the box of Lucky Charms and the assorted eight charms. I was excited to sketch them and print them in a few different sizes. Then I got to thinking, where is the Pot of Gold? Did the new Unicorn replace it? Then the more I dug, the more I realized I hadn’t eaten much cereal over the last decade. The Pots of Gold were retired in 2008. RIP.

While I miss the pots of Gold, I love the Unicorns. (The Unicorns replaced the Hourglass. If I hadn’t looked it up I wouldn’t have known what that charm was supposed to be 🤷🏼‍♀️). At this point, my brain started whirring. What other charms have I missed out on or forgotten? Then I got to digging.

I remember the release of the rainbows in the 90s. I recalled the crystal balls that melted to reveal Lucky’s hiding location or answer yes or no questions. I ventured deep down the rabbit hole. At this point, I knew I wanted to have a dozen cookies. I scoured some Wiki fan pages devoted to the “Magically Delicious” cereal to search for hidden gems that I may not have recalled. I also thought about including the cereal shapes, but I felt committed to the marshmallow charms.

Decision Time

By the end of all of my research, I decided on :

Hearts
Shooting Stars
Clovers
Leprechaun Hats
Horseshoes
Blue Moons
Pots of Gold
Hourglasses
Unicorns
Rainbows
Tasty Red Balloons
?

I hemmed and hawed over how to fill the 12th spot. The original 4 Charms were Pink Hearts, Orange 6-Sided Stars, Green Clovers, and Yellow Moons. So maybe I should include the original star? Then I thought about the Blue Diamond. It was the first new Charm! I was also ~~mildly~~ obsessed with the Whales from ’86, but were they too obscure?

I reached out to my R&D team, aka my two best gals at work, and took a survey. One agreed that the Whales would be trendy in general (whether they were in the Charms collection or not). My other gal was immediately hooked on the Blue Diamonds (because they are blue). Also, there were lots of questions surrounding the 6-sided stars. Were they Stars of David? (I’m not the creator of Lucky Charms. I have no answers to these kinds of questions. My only thought is they are perfectly symmetrical). Though I could use them in a Channukah Collection as well… (and I love cookie-cutters with more than one purpose).

With the resounding response (*cough* one strong vote) for the Blue Diamond, I was all set. Yet, my heart still longed for the Whale. I connected with the Whale. I was born in ’86, and I love how ~~random~~ quirky this Whale is. So I decided to have both. I would have 13.

An Ocelot’s Dozen: The Lucky 13

Thirteen has been my favorite number as long as I can remember. I like spooky movies, I don’t believe in superstitions, and I felt like the number 13 got a bad wrap (just like black cats). I enjoyed being playful on Friday the 13th, walking under ladders, playing with all cats that may cross my path, because Friday the 13th was just another day. It took the fear out of it and turned it into something wildly fun!

I frequently have an extra cookie or two that I add to orders (gratis). I always bake a few extra in case there is an icing mishap, oven mishap, and of course, I need some for tasting! So an Ocelot’s Dozen is anywhere from 13-15.

As fortune has it, this Friday is Friday the 13th! If you need to double your luck, add charms to ward off your superstitions, or just have some extra fun this month, you can always order some of the Lucky 13! You may never catch Lucky the Leprechaun, but I’ll be taking orders all month!

Hearts
Shooting Stars
Clovers
Leprechaun Hats
Horseshoes
Blue Moons
Pots of Gold
Hourglasses
Unicorns
Rainbows
Tasty Red Balloons
Diamonds
Swirled Whales

Charming Cookie-Cutters

I sketched, designed, and 3D printed five sizes of each Charm. The options are as follows: Tiny Bites, Extra Small (XS), Small, Medium, and Large. If you are trying to compute the math, it’s 65 Cookie-Cutters. The printing time for each cookie cutter ranged from 1 – 4 hour(s). (It took me a couple of weeks to print them all).

As I was making a set of balloons for a co-worker’s baby’s 1st birthday (because the baby loves balloons), I accidentally started making them in a Rainbow Brite-style rainbow. Then I HAD to make a full set in the same Rainbow (even though I ended up gifting a small set in the colors of the Parents’ Alma Mater).

Cookie Time

Once the cookie-cutters finished printing, it was time to start baking test cookies! Yum!

Here is the collection of Shooting Stars! The Tiny bites are the perfect 1-2 bite cookie! (Tiny Bites, Extra Small (XS), Small, Medium, and Large)

Tiny Bites

I was pleased as punch when a full collection of 13 fit in my skinny cookie sleeve!

Extra Small (XS)

Eight XS cookies fit in the same sleeve! Which also felt like serendipity! (As for many years there have been eight charms packed in our cereal).

Small

The small cookies also come in packs of eight!

Medium

The medium cookies come in packs of 2! (You can choose!) Some of my suggested pairings are:

Shooting Star & Moon
Rainbow & Pot of Gold
Unicorn & Horseshoe
Clover & Leprechaun Hat
Unicorn & Rainbow

Large

Large cookies are available in single packs!

St.-Paddys-Menu

Finding the Leprechaun!

I stared at my cookie-cutters for days and days as they were printing and while I was baking. I kept getting the Unicorns turned around, so where I couldn’t tell what shape they were! One day, as this happened, I noticed my Pot of Gold had a funny resemblance to a curly beard! So I was inspired to make a Leprechaun! (Remember that love of turning Cookie-Cutters into multiple designs!)

Lucky Charms Treats!

Back by popular demand are Lucky Charms Treats! (Like Rice Cereal Treats, but made with Lucky Charms). I made them last year for St. Patrick’s Day, and they were such a hit that people started asking me about them in early February! This year, I’ll be offering a chocolate drizzled option as well as the plain (which is anything other than plain)!

These gooey treats are filled with homemade vanilla marshmallows!

Also, Gluten-Free Friends, did you know that Lucky Charms are GF? They are made from oats (and triple sifted to ensure they leave no traces of any gluten). I’ve never really thought about what they are made of, just that they are “magically delicious!”

Baked Goods | Cookies | Holiday | Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day Special

By Julia on 4 February, 2020

For Valentine’s day, I wanted to turn a classic treat into a delicious cookie. I love the traditional phrases, but I enjoyed taking a LOT of liberties with various other ideas and even asked a few friends for some ideas too!

I knew I needed a classic and modern collection; they were easy choices. I also didn’t want to alienate those that aren’t currently coupled or aren’t into the holiday, and my mind ran wild with the idea of anti-conversation cookies. Maybe you like Valentine’s day, and you don’t want to share the cookies. Or, you want to share some humor with some friends? Perhaps there is someone who doesn’t understand that they have been put in the “friend zone,” and they need a more explicit message?

Building my website has been nerve-wracking. Developing the courage to share it and invite others to view it has filled me with excitement, anxiety, joy, and so many other emotions. To give myself a little extra push, I decided to make a collection of encouragement cookies. A third of them are focused on “GIRL POWER,” but more broadly, they can be used for any audience that needs some inspiration.

I had a lot of “extra” ideas that I couldn’t seem to let go of, but I liked having a clean dozen in each collection. Naturally, this created the “bonus” collection. I thought a cookie that simply said “cats” was a purr-fectly clear message that said, “not interested.” My awesome SIL also thought it was hilarious, but as I mentioned it to a few other people, it didn’t really get any laughs. (Side note, my SIL and I laughed hysterically at this. Maybe it is because we are cat ladies).

Valentines-Menu

Ordering

How to order? On my menu, there is a custom order tab. Fill out the form, and in the notes section, describe the choices you desire and submit! Or you can always email me at Julia@theOcelotsDen.com.

When ordering you can mix and match as you please. Or you can order a dozen of one (or each) collection. If you order 6 or a dozen cookies, the cookies will be 6 different colors (or pairs of 6 different colors). If you order 2 cookies, I will randomly choose 2 colors.

All of the cookie orders will come in their own boxes sized based on the number of cookies.

Half-dozen cookie boxes are shown. Boxes will be chosen randomly for orders.

The cookies are large cookies based on my cookie sizing chart.

Baked Goods | Birthdays | Cake | Cookies | Holiday

A Magical Birthday

By Julia on 20 January, 2020

One of my sweet nephews turned seven recently. He has just started reading “Harry Potter” and was able to watch “The Chamber of Secrets” this week! I have been waiting on pins and needles for one of my nieces and/ or nephews to get hooked so that I can share the magic with them.

I asked him before Christmas what kind of cake he would like. I had planned on making fun sorting hat cupcakes. He was precise with his request, and it quickly changed my course. ‘I’d like a vanilla cake, I guess, with strawberries. So it tastes fresh. Sometimes (I think) cake is just so sweet.’

While I had my heart initially set on the sorting hat cupcakes, it was much better to prepare something exactly as he wanted it. I would find something else to create a magical element. (Besides, he’s only seven, he isn’t old enough to be sorted yet. #hufflepuffforlife). I even practiced by attempting to mold a tootsie roll into a sorting hat at lunch one day. Some of my friends and family immediately knew it was the sorting hat. Not everyone was convinced. They may or may not have thought it looked like Poo. So I made a poop Emoji out of another tootsie roll.

When I recovered from the fixation on the cupcakes, I realized I needed to make this as a whole cake instead. I wanted to bake my nephew some custom cookies in a wizard-like font to top his extraordinary cake.

I designed five cookie-cutters to spell out his name and capture his new age! There were some trials and errors in the designs. I cursed myself several times because I kept forgetting that you have to mirror numbers and letters to have them cut properly. It doesn’t matter for symmetrical letters, but in strange fonts, even a capital “A” is noticeable when printed backward. (Oops!)

Next came the cake itself. When I think of Vanilla cake and strawberries, I immediately imagine strawberry shortcakes. Especially the shortcakes in the grocery store that look like little fruit cups. (I have a basket weave shortcake pan, but I wasn’t sure that was the right call for a seventh birthday party). Instead, I baked a cake that would taste similar, and I planned to layer in the strawberries like a giant shortcake.

I baked the cake in two layers. (I should have baked it in three-layers instead of cutting the cake, it would have baked faster, but I only have two pans 10-inch pans). Due to the birthday boy’s aversion to overly sweet cake, I opted to use a thick whipped cream in lieu of a traditional frosting. I sliced and macerated the strawberries with some fresh lemon juice and a light dusting of sugar. I let the berries hang out while I sliced the cake and whipped the cream. Waiting allowed the juices to come out of the fruit and make a lovely light syrup for the cake.

With a cool cake, sliced and ready, I piped a dam of whipped cream around the edge of the cake. Next, I used a silicone basting brush and spread some of the excess strawberry syrup on the cake, followed by filling in the whipped cream and topping it with the sliced strawberries. I repeated this X3.

At the top of the cake, I used a large star tip to pipe the thick cream over the whole surface. I reserved 7 of the most beautiful strawberries to adorn the top of the cake. I hulled them and filled the void with some more whipped cream.

Earlier in the morning, I baked the sugar cookies for the cake. When they were cool, I sprayed them with edible gold paint and inserted some toothpicks in their base.

The birthday boy was coming over for a seafood feast (at his request), so I made a few other treats to compliment the cake and bring more magic into the day. I used a frog mold to make some fruit gummies and some chocolate frogs. The gummy frogs turned out great. (They felt like frogs). The chocolate frogs had very delicate front legs. Only one survived, but they were still tasty, and everyone enjoyed them.

We also had some divination butterbeer. (Add a drop of food color in the bottom of a glass under some ice and pour over your beverage for a colorful surprise).

I also sent them home with a dozen cookies I stamped with some cookies presses I got for Christmas. The impressions weren’t as crisp as I had anticipated (because of the fine details). It was a completely magical afternoon!

Hogwarts
Gryffindor
Ravenclaw
Slytherin
Hufflepuff

Cookie-Cutters | Updates

Custom Cookies

By Julia on 31 December, 2019

I am so excited because I can finally make custom Cookie-Cutters! (Cue, Handel’s “Messiah”) I recently was gifted with a 3-D Printer. I am beside myself with excitement! I have had a Silhouette (craft cutting machine) for seven years and love it. When I discovered they started making 3-D printers, I knew the Silhouette Alta was on the top of my wish list. (This is not a sponsored post. Just a fangirl geeking out). I use my Silhouette for more than craft cutting; I also use it for graphic design. I’m not sure this is the intended use case, but I already have the software, and I know how to use it. (It’s how I turned my sketch of the ocelot logo into an actual logo).

I have an understanding of the software, and I trust the maker of silhouette products, plus the retail cost of the Silhouette wasn’t astronomically high, and I felt like it was a good entry point for a hobby 3-D printer. My initial goal was to earn enough bakery profits to buy the 3-D printer, but secret Santa surprised me!!!

What does this mean for Custom Cookies?

Now that I have this 3-D printer, I can design and print custom cookie cutters and cookie stamps for any occasion. I won’t have to wait to order from Etsy or Amazon. I won’t waste hours scouring page after page searching for the perfect toy soldier and end up with a fantastic toy soldier that has short legs. My creative mind can go wild, and the sky is the limit!

What are the actual limitations?

Realistically there are, of course, limitations. The print bed of the Silhouette Alta is about 5-inches in diameter. Cookie-cutters have a handle, which takes up some space, so about the largest, I can make is about a 4.5-inch square (20.25sq inches), which is an XL cookie on my menu.

I have to be cautious about the amount of detail I use in the cookie stamps. In my first design, I created a simplified Ocelot stamp and cutter. Some of the features were fine and broke off. Since I am working with edibles, this isn’t ideal. I had to go back to the drawing board and create a design that didn’t have whiskers that would be fragile.

Other than size and fine detail, I have a vast amount of flexibility, which is thrilling! Can’t find an ocelot cookie-cutter? I’m your girl. Are you looking for A narwhal wearing a birthday hat? I’m your girl! Love Stegosauruses, but can’t find a cookie-cutter in a sea of T-rex and Triceratops? You guessed it; I’m your girl!!
I can’t wait to see what awaits in 2020!

I can’t wait to see what awaits in 2020!

Baked Goods | Christmas | Cookies | Holiday | Winter

Sweet Arctic Wonderland

By Julia on 29 December, 2019

A little over a month ago, my SIL asked me if I could bake some (5-dozen) Christmas Cookies for a school event. She gave me full creative licensing, and I was off to the races. I had recently acquired some hexagon cookie cutters and knew I HAD to use them for this project. I’ve seen a lot of creative holiday themes on squares and rectangles, so I knew I could make something work on a hexagon too.

I spent an afternoon looking around for various ideas. I saw penguins and snowmen that were adorable. I even sketched them out. But then I became besotted with a precious polar bear. The polar bear led me to think about other arctic creatures. So, of course, I HAD to make a narwhal (or two) because the narwhal is my favorite real sea creature. (Otherwise, it’s mermaids).

I thought a little longer and remembered that I have an adorable yeti that sings “Winter Wonderland.” I felt my set was complete! A half dozen creatures and I could make ten of each. As I was looking at the color scheme of my sketches though I realized it was far better if I narrowed my scope. So I whittled it down to Polar Bear, Narwhal (x2), and Yeti.

I shared my sketches with my SIL, and she was just as in love as me. Her oldest (6 going on 13) then requested a cat in a Santa hat. So I knew I’d make him a couple of special ones. (Snow Ocelot-A fictional cat).

I wanted to try to use the fewest colors I could for the simplicity of design and execution. So I wanted half on a teal background and the other half on a gray background. I had initially intended to have several plain cookies in solid teal and gray. I thought some people might not want to eat the cute cookies, plus I knew it would also help keep the cost down for my SIL.

About two weeks before the cookie order was due, my SIL found out they were going to do a cookie decorating contest, and parents were asked not to bring dessert, so she reduced her order to one and a half dozen for a Christmas party she was throwing. Since it was a smaller order, I opted to do all creatures.

I piped the different animals one color at a time and in layers in places to create some depth. I was giddy once they were all decorated. Patience is a requirement with cookie decorating, I was ready to add faces and eyes, but the frosting takes time to set. I arranged them around in alternating patterns for fun before I headed to bed.

The next morning I got up bright and early to add all the fine details with my handy dandy edible markers.

I freehanded the snow ocelot by looking at my original logo sketch by only focusing on the darkest parts. I was happy to only have two ocelots in the bunch, but it was entertaining to draw in such detail on a cookie!

With all the fine details added, I painted over the yellow horns with some edible gold paint, and they were all finished!

Baked Goods | Christmas | Cookies | Holiday | Winter

Chillin’ With My Gnomies

By Julia on 24 December, 2019

When ordering the elf cookie cutters around Thanksgiving, I looked around at other offerings (because I like to qualify for free shipping or spread shipping costs across a few things when I can). I stumbled upon these adorable Gnome and Snowflake cookie-cutters! I couldn’t resist, so I added them to my cart and offered to make them for the same party as the Spiked Cocoa Cupcakes. Little did I know, my girlfriend adores Gnomes! It was kismet.

I loved taking the time to create different designs on the hats of the gnomes. (Side note, does anyone remember David, the Gnome?) I also wanted to make a couple of designs for the snowflakes because snowflakes are all different.

One of my favorite frosting piping tips is the leaf piping tips. Piping all the leaves on the wreath was a blast. Then I got to add tiny red bead sprinkles and some slightly larger silver balls.

Then the next day, when my creations were dry, I dusted everything with various shades of luster dust (aka Christmas magic), and the cookie platter was ready for delivery!

Baked Goods | Christmas | Cookies | Winter

March of the Toy Soldiers

By Julia on 18 December, 2019

One of my coworkers has been looking for a giant Toy Soldier for several years to complement our drummer tree. In honor of that, I found a Toy Soldier cookie cutter as a surprise for her.

I also love making Gingerbread. I love it when it is soft, full of flavor, and has just a little bit of snap when you bite into it. I had to dive deep into my mind (and Pinterest) thinking of how I would decorate the Soldiers. I found myself a little stumped. Nothing seemed quite right.

Toy Soldier Standing Guard at The Jefferson Hotel
Richmond, VA

Then, by a stroke of luck, I attended our annual Holiday party at The Jefferson Hotel, where the perfect Soldier greeted me.

When I got home, I compared him to my adorable cutter, and I realized I had a small problem. My Soldier cutter has very short legs. I was going to have to choose boots or pants. I thought about drafting some renderings on my computer or sketching them, but I was eager to start icing the cookies.

I decided to try to make medium height boots and have a glimpse of the pants showing. First, I piped on some faces, and then I piped my hats and boots!

Before the hats had a chance to set, I added a flourish of holly berries. I prepped early in the season and made a couple hundred, so I could use them as often as I liked. (I LOVE feeling prepared).

I added the red jackets, blue pants, and some blue cuffs on the sleeves of the jackets. I thought there needed to be a touch more blue in the uniform (making up for the very short legs).

With the soldiers fully dressed, it was time to add details and embellishments. I tried a few different designs before finalizing. Gold cords around the cuffs, buttons, and shoulder tassels for the win! The other elements were a little too delicate for the amount of replication required.

I am also an Army veteran, so I got a kick out of lining up my soldiers in formation, boxing them in along with their squads, and deploying them. When they were dry the next day, I was able to draw on their faces (with a fine edible marker). A lot of Toy Soldiers have a mustache, but I’m not fond of it. So I kept a crisp, clean-shaven look.

Baked Goods | Christmas | Cookies | Holiday

North Pole Pizza Delivery

By Julia on 17 December, 2019

Earlier this Advent season, I made a few elves to welcome back my nephews’ scout elf, Truck. The cookies were a hit! The boys loved them. The youngest even exclaimed, “they looked like Truck!” I genuinely love bringing joy to their little faces. Seeing them full of joy, wonder, and excitement is one of my favorite things about being an auntie.

To keep going with the elves, I knew that sometimes the elves get into mischief, and sometimes they bring treats. I also know that sometimes parents are up so late doing the dishes that the elves don’t have enough time to make their trip back to the North Pole. I thought an Elf Pizza delivery would be a great way to help them out and a fun way for me to secretly contribute to the fun!

I’ve seen a lot of “pizza” cookies on Pinterest and Instagram made with royal icing. I prepared to do this but then really liked the idea of building the pizza with actual flavorful toppings.

The dough base is a gingerbread cookie, which I topped with deep red royal icing “sauce.” I shaved some white chocolate for the cheese and placed it on the wet icing so it would stick. Finally, it was time to make my crowning jewel, the pepperoni. To make the pepperoni, I used the backside of an icing tip and cut circles out of Fruit-by-the-Foot. When my cookies were dry, I used edible markers (black and brown) to put the spices on the pepperoni.

My final touch on the cookies was using my kitchen torch to melt the “cheese” and crisp a little of the pepperoni. I wasn’t sure how noticeable it would be, but it was fun!

To make the pizza’s official, I created a pizza box with my Christmas logo and cut small squares of checkerboard wax paper to line the tiny pizza boxes. (Love, love, love)!

Baked Goods | Birthdays | Cookies | Holiday

Squad Goals

By Julia on 9 December, 2019

It was recently my Mother-in-Law’s (MIL) birthday. It was a birthday divisible by 5, so my Sister-in-Law (SIL) wanted to do something unique so she planned a girls’ trip for all of the “daughters” and mom. Technically, my MIL has two children by birth, but then, of course, she has a Son-in-Law (SIL) and a Daughter-in-Law (DIL, aka me). Two of my SIL’s childhood friends are also considered daughters in our Hawthorne sister crew. (Love, Love, Love them). 3 of the 4 of us live in Virginia, and one lives out on the West Coast.

My SIL had another brilliant idea to make t-shirts for everyone to wear on our trip to Williamsburg. We passed a few ideas back and forth and settled on bold “MOM daughter #SQUAD” design. It’s been a while since I’ve made a heat transfer design. Aside from cutting the backing material instead of the vinyl on the first pass, all went smoothly. I especially love how brilliant the gold sparkles shine!

Once I made the t-shirts, it was a natural choice for Cookie designs. I wanted to bring us a sweet treat. Something understated but sentimental and directly intended for mom.

I’m still really digging using this hexagon cutter. Maybe the novelty will wear off in a few weeks, but for the moment, I am obsessed with the shape. At first, I thought I would pipe directly on the cookies (like I usually do). My inner-perfectionist had a different idea. While my cursive is neat and it is undoubtedly legible, it didn’t quite “POP” the way I had envisioned.

So I got creative, and I engraved the cookies from a stencil before piping on them. It was MUCH more effective though I did have one cookie that I didn’t flood as fully as I should have. (So many lessons to learn along the way).

The last details were to add a couple of Holly Berry clusters and some red beads around the edge, and then I brushed them all over with some luster dust. (I LOVE when things sparkle, another trend for me right now).

We all had a fantastic time on our trip, our shirts all fit, and the cookies were delightfully demolished! (My favorite compliment).