Chicago: Katherine Anne Confections

Chocolatier Katherine Duncan has worked out of her shop space for years now, quietly making chocolate truffles, marshmallows, and caramels for a loyal following at farmers markets and small stores across the city. But her newly opened confiserie, Katherine Anne Confections, also serves French-inspired chocolat chaud, melting E. Guittard artisan chocolate into Kilgus Farmstead milk, before crowning Alice in Wonderland-oversized porcelain cups with marshmallow clouds. Duncan still infuses truffles with Seedling Farm fruit she purees herself whenever possible, and hand-grates carrots for uniquely American carrot cake truffles. She’s also collaborating with a different local chef each month to create a charity chocolate truffle. First up: a Bad-Ass bourbon bacon chocolate truffle by City Provisions chef/owner Cleetus Friedman, benefitting the Scleroderma Foundation. Duncan learned the art of confectionary from her mother, with some help from her library of cooking magazines, on her family’s sustainable farm in Wisconsin. The shop also serves locally roasted Ipsento coffee, locally blended Senteamental tea, and pastries from new farmers market vendor Beurrage, all at reclaimed wood tables.

Photo: Facebook/Katherine Anne Confections