Winter – The Ocelots' Den

Ocelot Bombs!

By Julia on 15 February, 2020

A Cozy Hug in a Mug

I have a new love affair- with Hot Cocoa Bombs. I love deep, rich, and decadent chocolate. Chocolate Chip Cookies are a standby in my house (or variations on them), and Brownies are a close second. They are my comfort treats.

This winter season has been unseasonably warm. I went skiing in the rain over the weekend (that’s right skiing, not singing). To warm back up, I knew the best trick was to drink a steamy cup of hot cocoa.

Why is it called a Bomb?!

This is more akin to bath bombs, not a cherry bomb. When steaming hot milk is poured over the Ocelot Bomb (aka Hot Cocoa Bomb) the chocolate melts and the homemade marshmallows pop out from the inside or depending on how the milk has pored, sometimes it’s like they are blooming.

Ocelot Bomb in Action

It’s All About the Chocolate

Currently, I’m using a blend of dark and semi-sweet Ghiradelli chocolate. I wanted quality chocolate that would have some rich flavor to it, but that was also easily accessible for me to source at local grocery stores. (*Update: chocolate has been challenging to sources this year. My chocolate blend is still Dark chocolate (70%). I source high-quality chocolate, but it has been a struggle to consistently use the same brand of chocolate. This is also why you may notice an increase in my pricing.

Eventually, I want to offer additional flavors. White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and other exciting concoctions. They are still in the testing phase. Some of them have been far too sweet and I would rather deliver a consistently delicious product, than offer more options.

Homemade Marshmallows

I take the time to make my own marshmallows. First, of all, I’m not particularly fond of marshmallows, or at least I wasn’t until I decided to make my own. Homemade marshmallows are gooier and the flavor is fuller.

Secondly, I love learning about how things are made. Sometimes I learn and continue to buy from the store, but that was not the case with marshmallows. I love every aspect of making homemade marshmallows and the extra effort is worthwhile in making my confections.

Finally, I can FLAVOR my marshmallows. My current flavor is Vanilla Bean. My next batch will be peppermint. I have a few more that I would like to make before the Hot Cocoa Season is over. (Orange, Coconut, I even had a request for banana).

Are Custom Ocelot Bombs a thing?

Absolutely! I like to decorate my Bombs with some embellishments. (Sprinkles, Colorful Drizzles, Sanding Sugars, Royal Icing Transfers, etc). I also decorate them so I can tell the difference in the flavors.

Pricing

Each Bomb is $5.

If you would like a custom flavor marshmallow on an order of at least a dozen, let me know! And I’m happy to create something just for you.

All of my Ocelot Bombs are heat sealed in their package. They have a sticker with the instructions and a tag to identify their flavor!

Current Flavors are: Kaleidescope Vanilla Bean and Candy Cane Swirl (December 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.