Chocolate – The Ocelots' Den

Happy Pączki Day!

By Julia on 25 February, 2020

For those that may be caught unaware, today is Pączki Day! It is also known as Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and Mardi Gras, to name a few more familiar names. So why am I calling it Pączki Day? Well, as a native Michigander, I grew up with Pączki in every bakery and convenience store (oh, QD how I miss you) this time of year.

Pączki are Polish doughnuts. Pączek is the singular form, and Pączki is plural. Growing up, we always ate Pączki, and on every occasion, ate more than one. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying a Pączki, the closest cousin is a Bismark or Jelly-Filled Doughnut. Truly a Pączki is in its own class. The dough itself is more luxurious and more decadent than that of a typical doughnut.

Fat Tuesday, Pączki Day, and Mardi Gras are typically celebrated as the last day of indulgence before Lent begins. Pączki were created as a way to use up the rich, decadent ingredients from the pantry so it wouldn’t go to waste (and if the ingredients were shelf-stable for 40 days, I suppose to also reduce temptation. Fat, Sugar, Brandy, Egg Yolks, and a Sweet Filling give some heft to these incredible treats.

A few years ago, when I had just gotten out of the Army, I was craving Pączki and knew I wasn’t going to find them in Brunswick County, VA. I decided it was time to learn how to make them and stumbled across an excellent recipe for Baked Pączki over at Jenny Can Cook. It was my first attempt at making Pączki, and I felt more comfortable baking them than frying them.

I followed the instructions to the point of shaking the warm doughnut that has just been brushed with butter in a bag of sugar. I did that once and thought it was too much sugar. Granted, it had been YEARS since I had eaten a Pączek, so I may have misremembered, but I opted to sprinkle the sugar over the tops of the remaining doughnuts.

They were delicious. Light but rich. I filled the freshly baked doughnuts with Strawberry Jam. It was an excellent day! Since then, I have baked Pączki every year. I share them with neighbors and bring lots into my office to spread the love of Pączki in Richmond.

This year, with the launch of my business, I decided to go “WILD’. I made my recipe a little more authentic. (Jenny’s recipe doesn’t call for any Brandy). My Grandma Nancy reminds me EVERY year that authentic Pączki have Brandy in them. I’ve also seen recipes that suggest using Rum as a substitute. I don’t currently have any Brady in my liquor cabinet, but I live in the South and have a wide assortment of Bourbon.

I also decided to bake a batch and fry a batch (which turned into frying two batches). Y’all, I am beyond freaking excited I decided to fry them. I love the healthier baked version. They are delightful. (I calculated the calories one year, and they averaged 125-140 calories depending on the filling). I am not going to bother figuring out how to calculate the calorie count on the fried doughnuts. They are worth every calorie. They were easy to fry. It wasn’t as messy as I had anticipated. They puffed and got so light and fluffy. I felt like I was biting into a cloud! Also, the telltale light middle ring of a Pączki was much more prominent in the fried version. I’m not sure I can go back.

Raspberry
Goodies all blessed up to share with my coworkers! (Some got snagged before I could take photos)

I also recently learned Pączki are also eaten in the U.S. on Casimir Pulaski Day. Casimir Pulaski was born in Poland and was an American Revolutionary War hero. He has been dubbed “the father of the American cavalry.” (Celebrated the First Monday in March). I’ve already looked ahead at the Calendar for next year, and Fat Tuesday is only 5 days after Valentine’s Day. I may be celebrating Casimir Pulaski Day in 2021! 😍

Comfort Food | Treats | Winter

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 | Cupcakes | Holiday

Who Spiked the Cupcakes?

By Julia on 23 December, 2019

One of my girlfriends asked if I could make some boozy cupcakes for her annual Christmas Party (9? years running). I looked through a variety of different recipes on the internet and kept circling back to the thought of keeping it simple, packed with flavor, and seasonal. One of my favorite winter drinks is a peppermint mocha, and who doesn’t love a steamy mug of cocoa topped with marshmallows or filled with some whipped cream?

For the base of my cupcake, I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. It is rich and chocolaty and always seems to be a crowd-pleaser. (The secret ingredient is coffee. Tasty, delicious dark coffee from a local roaster here in Richmond. Dark as Dark from Blanchards).

In my busy baking haste, I neglected to take photos as I was in the process of making these delightful concoctions. However, I’ll still do a quick overview before sharing the final product images.

After the cupcake base layer, I had intended to have a lovely light but stabilized whipped cream frosting. Friends, I met this task with failure, and I had a quick deadline. (Probably the reasons why I wasn’t busy snapping photos along the way).

Instead of my concept frosting, I went with an ol’ standby that is ALWAYS delicious, and ALWAYS turns out. Buttercream. I flavored it with equal parts vanilla and peppermint extracts. (As I had intended to do with the failed batch).

While the cupcakes were in the oven, I spread some chocolate out, added a layer of peppermint candy melts, generously sprinkled some crushed peppermint, and let it set up.

Once the cupcakes were cooled and frosted, I cut the peppermint bark into wedges and ~~stabbed~~ stuck the piece in the frosting.

The most fun part was adding the tiny bit of tipsy. I ordered some pettite pipettes. (They hold a volume of 4ml). For reference, there’s ~ 44ml in a standard shot. I added the pipette of peppermint schnapps, and the cupcakes were complete!

The best part was, they were popular enough to get a second order!

Baked Goods | Birthdays | Cake | Cookies | Holiday

Young, Wild, and Three!

By Julia on 12 August, 2017

This week was my youngest nephew’s third birthday! He asked me to make him a chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting! He is a little man after my own heart. I LOVE chocolate.

This week was my youngest nephew’s third birthday! He asked me to make him a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! He is a little man after my own heart. I LOVE chocolate.

His birthday is also a few days before his dad, my brother-in-law Charles, so sometimes I like to add a nod to him as well. In years past, I heard about this cake they order for Charles. A chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache filling, the middle layer of the cake is a chocolate chip cookie, topped with a chocolate ganache frosting. I thought the little man would love his daddy’s favorite cake too!

So I set out to work. I baked my favorite chocolate cake recipe that has a little coffee in it to deepen the chocolate flavor. Then I used the same 9-inch springform pan to bake my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I molded it into the greased pan and baked it at 325 F for 20 minutes, and then I checked it every 5 minutes.

There are TWO essential keys to baking wonderful chocolate chip cookies. First, use high-quality chocolate. I like Ghirardelli because I can find them at most of the local grocery stores, and I can buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club. Second, when the recipe says to cream the butter and sugar, don’t just mix until it is combined. Use your stand mixer or hand mixer and truly whip it. The color will change! It makes a dramatic difference in the cookie!

For my filling, I made a lovely ganache. It is a simple 2-ingredient recipe. Warm the cream, pour it over the chocolate chips. Mix and whip until fluffy. (It can take some time because it needs to cool).

I stack and fill the cake, and as I was doing this, I realized I would leave it “naked,” and I didn’t frost the sides of the cake.

To top the cake, I made some more ganache, but I didn’t whip it. When it isn’t whipped, there isn’t as much air incorporated, which makes it less fluffy, and it is a darker color. I also made an adorable cake topper out of melted chocolate.

To make the topper, print out an image you want to pipe and tape it down. Lay a piece of wax paper over it and tape it down. Pipe the chocolate over the image and voila! A custom cake topper. I filled my topper because I wanted to place it on the cake in once piece. I probably could have gone over the white chocolate layer a second time after filling to bring out the lettering, but I ran out of white chocolate.

I added a #3 candle, and some fun chopped colorful candy melts around the edge as a more playful garnish. My youngest nephew is a wild-spirit. He is full of adventure and completely fearless! I think this cake sincerely captures his personality.

Update: Since making this cake, it has a new name. This cake will forever be known as “The Charles” in our family.