Chocolates by George! opened in the spring of 2006, selling truffles and caramels at a local farmers market on Whidbey Island, Washington.
My wife Cathy and I had moved to Whidbey Island in December 2003. Too young to be retired and looking for something to do with the time I now had available, I started looking at the cookbooks accumulated over the years. I always enjoyed cooking for family and friends, even for large groups of people at the churches I served as pastor. During the years I took a few classes in cake decorating and, without ever advertising, found myself providing cakes for all occasions in the area. A caterer soon approached, saying she supplied everything but the cake for weddings. Could she refer clients to me? Soon I was making wedding cakes for 100-150 people several times a month – all while continuing to serve as a parish pastor.
I am a true chocoholic. I gladly admit it. I have loved working with chocolate in cakes. What caught my eye when I started to read the cookbooks, were truffles. When my father originally came to this country from Germany, although trained as a blacksmith, he started working in a German candy store. I guess a little of that was in my blood. Starting with simple recipes, I began to experiment – types of chocolate, types of cream, and types of butter- and soon I began to create a truffle that I was happy with.
A tempering machine followed; soon new cookbooks with caramel recipes and nut clusters were discovered and we were on our way.
I still like to experiment with new and different ingredients. Sometimes I will read a recipe and think “Sure – but what if I tried this or that?” Sometimes a friend or customer will make a request and I simply respond, “Let me see what I can do” and something new is created. I have around 30 different truffle recipes that I use when making truffles. In addition, around the Christmas holidays, I make my own marzipan – an almond/sugar confection that I remember from my youth. I shape them into miniature pieces of fruit, or simply roll it into balls and dip them into tempered chocolate. Good either way.
While I do all the cooking, Cathy is busily involved in the packaging of the product. We have created our own packaging, and people have begun to recognize Chocolates by George! Simply by the way it is packaged.
Between batches, Cathy and I maintain a tiny Bed and Breakfast on Saratoga Passage we call Angels Guest Suite.
George Brunjes