Comfort Food | Treats | Winter

Ocelot Bombs!

By 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)

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Baked Goods | Christmas | Cupcakes | Holiday

Who Spiked the Cupcakes?

By 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!

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