Food

Maurie’s Fine Chocolates and Candy

For some of the best in classic handmade chocolates, you can’t do better than Maurie’s Fine Chocolates and Candy in Madison, Wisconsin. Owner Cherie Diamond opened her shop in 1991, taking over the business after her father Maurie died. He had been making chocolates since 1941 in his shop in Illinois. Closely guarded family recipes are the secret to some of the best things you will ever put in your mouth.

While Maurie’s hand-dipped chocolates and elegantly shaped truffles are sinfully good, Maurie’s is unique in that they offer an impressive selection of gift boxes and a mind-boggling selection of molded chocolates. Every season includes holiday specific boxes and containers as well as a standard selection.
A quick scan of www.mauriesfinechocolates.com shows molds of dark chocolate sailboats, milk chocolate alligators, white and milk chocolate Guernsey cows, computers, swans, and a chess-board with all the pieces. That barely scratches the surface. Each holiday brings its own unique shapes. If you’re looking for a special present for the chocolate lover in your life, Maurie’s is your one-stop shop.

Ambrosius – Chocolatier

For those who want something a little (or a lot) out of the ordinary, you won’t find any place better than Gail Ambrosius – Chocolatier, also in Madison. Gail Ambrosius thinks that bittersweet chocolate is the best chocolate, so that’s all she uses. What she wraps that chocolate around is what has made her famous. If anyone can be said to have taken chocolate making out of the ordinary and into the realm of fine art, it’s Gail.
Gail studied with the renowned French Chocolatiers, Valrhona and the Cluizel family. Returning to the USA, she opened her shop on Madison’s east side, applying what she had learned with a vengeance.

Gail recommends eating her chocolates within two weeks since they are made with only the highest-quality ingredients and include no waxes or preservatives. They look like other upscale treats but that’s where any similarity ends. These chocolates are an educational experience for your palate. Unexpected and unlikely flavor combinations dance to an extraordinary finish in your mouth, creating the most interesting, unusual, and delicious morsels I’ve tasted in a long time. My favorite was Cinnamon/Cayenne dusted with cocoa powder. I expected a good deal of dissonance but the Cinnamon and Cayenne proved a mellow and satisfying combination. The distinctive finish from the cocoa powder provided an extra bonus.

Her offerings include Maharajah Curry with Saffron and White Chocolate shavings, Om (a fruit from Madagascar) with green tea and jasmine blossoms, Cognac topped with baby Candied Ginger, and Rose Garden tea topped with fresh petals.

Gail is always looking for new flavor ideas and encourages the submission of suggestions. Gail Ambrosius stands firmly on the cutting edge of chocolate creations. Her candies are the kind that make life complete.

Candinas Chocolates

Two chocolatiers we visited prove that fine chocolates don’t just come from large cities. Candinas Chocolates hails from Verona, Wisconsin. Markus Candinas apprenticed with Swiss chocolate makers for six years, learned his craft well, returned to Wisconsin, and opened his factory in 1994. Candinas Chocolates are made without preservatives, using only the finest ingredients. This means they have a fairly short shelf life. In fact, the only place they are sold is at the retail boutique at their factory, a new location on Madison’s Capitol Square, or online.

What they lack in durability, they more than make up for in taste. These chocolates can only be described as a sensual experience. The exquisite chocolate flavors are rich, complex, and make your tongue want to jump for joy. Consumer Reports agrees. They rated Candinas Chocolates as the best traditional chocolates in the country. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, Candinas Chocolates are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.