Sweet talk

When she was just 12 years old, Dorinda Vance mastered the art of making chocolate-covered cherries. Now her childhood passion has become her life-long dream. After studying and learning the science behind chocolate at E’cole Chocolat, a chocolate-making program, and gaining experience in hands-on courses at Berry Callebaut, a chocolate academy in Chicago, she now holds the title of professional chocolatier.

She handcrafts everything. Her cherries are Maraschino cherries (five for $10) rolled in butter cream and dipped in Belgian Chocolate. This cocktail condiment never tasted so good with a texture that congeals perfectly with the chocolate—four chomps and its goodness pleases your palate and delights your stomach.

Sea salt caramel truffle—every piece of candy is about $1.80—is an awarding-winning bite. Honey undertones pop from this smooth, light and non-sticky caramel. A light layer of Malden sea salt tops the Valrhona dark chocolate. Valrhona is French luxury chocolate manufacturer based in the small town in Hermitage, a wine-growing district near Lyon—this is Vance’s source of dark, milk, white and dolce chocolate. The sea salt balances the sweetness of the honey caramel with a saltier tang.

“Mint Melt Away” (12 for $22), creamy and smooth, is made of milk chocolate and peppermint oil, creating a melt-in-your-mouth experience—no chewing required. This is a close-your-eyes-and-smile experience. Then there’s the “Hub Espresso Truffle” (12 for $22) if you want a caffeine fix, look no further. Made of dark chocolate and an Ethiopian roast espresso bean provided by Hub Coffee Roasters right next door.

The flavor is delicate in the “Marzipan Flowers” (12 for $22). These morsels are made of almond paste, dipped in dark chocolate, and topped with a pistachio. Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal. This is an elegant masterpiece. My next pleasure punishment was a “Naked Truffle” (12 for $22), 70 percent dark chocolate ganache, dipped in 70 percent dark chocolate.

The “Kraken” (12 for $22) is a crunchy yet smooth European-style chocolate that envelops a hazelnut praline biscotti crunch. It melts in your mouth on the first bite, complementing the light snap of the biscotti. Texture that teases the taste buds with divine goodness. The “Toasty Blonde” (12 for $22) is a charismatic heart-shaped candy bite is made of dark chocolate and dolce chocolate ganache. It has a sweet, creamy, milky caramel flavor.

Lemon truffles (12 for $22) made of real lemon juice and zest, with a French white satin chocolate shell, blasted my taste buds with citrus—the sweetest pucker ever. And then there are chocolate-covered pretzels, English butter toffee, and mountains of pecans and peanut butter cups, and, this time of year, fresh pumpkin truffles and caramel apples extraordinaire.

Do you remember the first time you had a really good piece of chocolate? I mean the good stuff. Not the sort you steal from your kid’s Halloween stash. I’m talking about the kind of chocolate that melts slowly on your tongue, and tastes like berries or citrus, maybe even with a hint of coffee at the end.

Tasting chocolate has become an art form, a lot like tasting wine and cheese. There are books, classes and societies all devoted to the art of tasting chocolate. Learning to distinguish between candy chocolate and fine chocolate isn’t as hard as you might think, but it does involve all five senses, and by the time you had this adventure, you’ll have developed a sixth sense for understanding, appreciating and tasting chocolate. Dorinda’s is the place for this memorable, mouth-watering enlightenment.