Who doesn’t love chocolate?

It’s a question I asked myself as I drove to Waukesha to tour the kitchen at Indulgence Chocolatiers.  I was eager to meet owner and Chocolatier Julie Waterman and talk with her, not only about her chocolate, but also the inspiration behind the Indulgence brand.

Moved by the artistry of the fine European chocolatiers she encountered during a backpacking trip, Julie founded Indulgence Chocolatiers in 2007 with the goal of introducing fine artisan chocolate to the Milwaukee area's burgeoning culinary scene.  Indulgence started out small, producing delectable truffles for weddings and events.  The chocolates were made from blended bean Belgian chocolate, and embellished with classic flavors like coconut, hazelnut and mint, as well as globally inspired combinations like coconut habanero, parmesan crisp, and Thai peanut butter.

Julie quickly formed a partnership with Indulge, a sleek urban wine room featuring over 300 wines, along with pairings like charcuterie, pate, and artisan cheese.   

“Their willingness to take a chance on me was encouraging in the beginning,” Julie commented, “and now it’s a pleasure to work with them to develop new and innovative flavors for pairing with wine.”

She pointed to her work station, where she was hand-rolling three new truffle flavors. The first, she explained, was blue cheese with pear puree, balsamic vinegar, and pecans.  The second, a truffle affectionately called “Velvet Elvis,” was comprised of peanut butter, banana oil, and bacon.  And the third was a deep dark chocolate truffle graced with the flavors of sweet cherry and smoky chipotle.

Julie’s expert palate made me salivate, so I felt lucky when she offered to let us taste a few of her creations.

“There’s a difference between tasting and eating,” Julie guided us, “chocolate is an experience.”

She introduced me to a variety of delicious truffle flavors, the first of which was a pure, dark truffle made from single origin chocolate from Sao Thome in Africa.  Rich and earthy, I closed my eyes and imagined the terroir in which the cocoa beans were grown.  Biting into a Balsamic Fig truffle, I was surprised first by a burst of fruity vinegar and then a deeply dark cocoa flavor, which spread throughout my mouth, along with a faint sweetness derived from chopped dried fig.

When I asked Julie what her current flavor combination is, she was quick to reply.  “Definitely the Limoncello-Espresso truffles,” she responded, “You’re going to think it sounds crazy, but when you take a bite the flavors go very horizontal in your mouth – like a smile.”

I didn’t doubt her for one moment.  In fact, before I even took my first bite of that gorgeous cocoa bean embellished truffle, I felt the grin spreading across my face. 

Ah…the power of chocolate.

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Indulgence Chocolatiers offers a full line of hand-crafted truffles and flavored chocolate bars, including seasonal flavors like Cranberry Pumpkin Seed.  The full line of chocolates are available online, as well as from select Milwaukee area retailers including Beans & Barley, Outpost Natural Foods, Sendik’s, and Thief Wine Shop and Bar.

Indulgence Chocolatiers
www.indulgencechocolatiers.com
Open By Appointment Only
400 Travis Lane, Unit 26
Waukesha, WI 53189