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Redmond Business Tantalizes Taste Buds
By Courtney Cobb
Walk through The Chocolate Company’s doors, and the sweet smell of chocolate, caramel, and popcorn can overwhelm the senses. Old-fashioned candy cases filled to the brim greet guests with something for everyone’s sweet tooth.
Behind the counter, you may find the owners, Stephani Whitney and Stephanie Voss, who proudly hand-dip truffles or work a copper kettle to make a new batch of caramel popcorn.
In 2022, the women looked for a change from the hustle and bustle of big city life on Oregon’s west side.
“I really wanted to move somewhere smaller, and this place happened to be for sale,” Whitney says. “There was also a cupcake shop for sale in Medford. I’m so glad the chocolate shop won, because I’m a terrible baker.”
The women agree that the adventure has been learning a new trade and living in a smaller town. They say they couldn’t imagine living anywhere better than Central Oregon.
A personal trainer and fitness instructor, Whitney says she learned the tricks of the chocolate-and-candy trade from the previous owner.
“My partner and I basically had Russ Newton teach us everything,” she says. “He was fantastic and patient with us and basically taught us everything that we know over 8 months.”
The Chocolate Company orders its chocolate in bulk, including dark, milk, and white chocolate, as well as some vegan chocolate. The store has something for every dietary need, from dairy-free to sugar-free and gluten-free. Whitney says they don’t sell much in the sugar-free line, but they keep some on hand just in case.
Almost all treats at The Chocolate Company are made on-site. Three machines help temper the chocolate, keeping it at a constant melted temperature.
“The machines are a godsend because otherwise it would be microwave and stir, stir, stir, stir kind of production,” Whitney says. “It definitely saves time in the process.”
Sweet Success
One of the most popular items, besides homemade caramel chocolates, is hand-dipped truffles. Creating melt-in-your-mouth delights is quite the process. First, Whitney makes a ganache and then cools it to a hardened state, where she can form balls. From there, the truffles are placed in the freezer again to harden before they are hand-dipped in a final layer of chocolate.
“Ideally, it’s a three-day process,” Whitney says. “Good things come to those who wait. I make 40 each batch but can make hundreds in a day.”
The truffles are works of art.
“When we create the truffles, we decide everything from the filling to what’s the best topping,” Whitney says. “For example, we have a sea salt caramel porter truffle made with beer from Cascade Lakes Brewery. We decided a few little sprinkles of toffee and sea salt on top would be fantastic. It’s just thinking about the flavors and seeing the final product.”
Special flavors take trial and error.
“The first beer truffle we made, we were like, ‘Hmm.’ It was mushy, and it wasn’t good,” she says with a laugh. “There was some trial and error as you figure out less beer, more cream, different chocolate ratios. Overall, everything has a lot of variety. It’s almost like a science.”
The kitchen serves as the science lab to create the final product. On the granite slab table behind the counters, the women go to work making a variety of concoctions, including various flavors of homemade fudge and caramel corn.
Caramel corn is a customer favorite. Voss has perfected the recipe Newton gave her, and she is a master.
“(Our caramel corn) is made in a big copper pot,” Voss says. “We dump it on this granite slab and then drizzle chocolate on it. Everything is handmade, and it’s an intense process, but I feel like it just tastes better than trying to use a machine to make it.”
Other tasty treats customers can find include caramel apples, caramel nut clusters, dipped Oreos, dipped chips, rocky road, peanut butter buckets, milk chocolate and dark chocolate salted toffee, chocolate-covered marshmallows, crispy rice treats, and chocolate-dipped Twinkies.
Some of the busiest seasons for the store occur around Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Whitney says she starts to think about Christmas inventory in early November and tries to make as many products ahead of time as possible.
“We are not a bakery, so we can make items ahead and pull them out as needed,” she says.
The other busy season is Valentine’s Day, and chocolate-covered strawberries are the favorite. However, Whitney advises that those who plan to buy this delicious treat for their sweethearts should order ahead.
“Valentine’s Day is a blur,” she says. “It sweeps in and out so fast, and our chocolate-covered strawberries always sell out quickly. I always feel bad when guys come in looking for the strawberries, and they are all sold out. I try to make extra beyond our preorders.”
The Chocolate Company also takes special orders, but asks customers to plan and call ahead.
“I love dipping strawberries or any of that stuff, I just need a little notice,” Whitney says. “I can’t always keep them on hand, because strawberries go bad really fast.”
Special orders can be placed online or in person.
“I am more than happy to help anyone put things together, from boxes of chocolates to gift baskets,” Whitney says.
No matter the craving, the Stephani(e)s and The Chocolate Company have their customers covered.
The Chocolate Company is in the Nolan Town Center at 895 SW Rimrock Way, Suite 102, Redmond. Visit thechocolatecompanies.com for more information or to place an order.