Mar. 31, 2010 - Issue #754: Don Juan
Profile
A better egg hunt
A better egg hunt: This year, kick Easter up a notch with Carol Logan's help
There is a caveat, of course; it has to be good-quality chocolate, not the waxy, additive-laden stuff you pick up at the corner store. But that's what Carol's is all about—really good chocolate. The tempting little shop only sells the best, most of which is made in-house. And what isn't made there comes from either Europe or England.
"A lot of commercial chocolate is cut with either palm or coconut oil. Ours isn't. The fat in our chocolate comes purely from cocoa butter, and cocoa butter is actually heart smart. It comes from a plant, after all ... "
Logan's shop is impressive, carrying what she believes is the largest selection of candy and chocolate in Edmonton. Walk in and watch your head spin. Glass jars line the walls and are filled with every sweet thing imaginable, from gummies to soap candy to chicken bones, and over 75 different kinds of licorice. A stand stretching to the ceiling bursts with colourful, oversized lollipops, and near the back of the store you'll discover a selection of exclusively European chocolate bars and packaged candy. There's more: unique sprinkles for decorating, tempting flavours of fudge and a whole section dedicated to the store's massive selection of jaw-breakers.
Another corner is dedicated to sugar-free delights, and a variety of candy sticks have their very own little section. And right now, because it's almost Easter, the front window looks like a virtual bunny habitat, brimming with every type of chocolate bunny imaginable—as well as a few other cute and fluffy creatures—and intricate, hand-decorated chocolate Easter eggs.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Carol's sits regally behind the glass counters. That's where you'll find all the chocolates the sweet shop so painstakingly makes, and has been making for 30 years. There are 20 kinds of truffles, 10 kinds of Belgian chocolates and a variety of chocolate and nut clusters.
These are no ordinary chocolates. "You always hear people talk about how good the chocolates in Belgium are," explains Logan. "But as long as you have the same ingredients here, you can create chocolates that are just as amazing. That's what we do."
The ingredients Logan uses include pure Belgian chocolate and real cream. No artificial flavourings or preservatives are thrown into the mix. "We use only natural flavours, and they all come from Europe. I won't tell you what I use; it's my secret. But I've been using the same things for the past 19 years."
Logan describes herself as a traditionalist and says the shop makes the same chocolates it has always made. "We don't do the chili pepper thing. For us, it's about traditional flavours. I don't have to convince you that you'll like it; you already know you will.
"Our most popular flavour is chocolate, but the lemon is amazing; it's just like eating lemon meringue pie."
Aside from the chocolates, Carol's also offers homemade marshmallows. And divine peanut brittle—crafted by her husband, Grant—that isn't impossibly thick. "[He] pours it just thin enough that you get just the right crunch when you bite into it."
The chocolates, the marshmallows, the peanut brittle—everything is truly handmade. "We make it and then we sell it, so it's always fresh. It's a continuous process."
It's also a very labour-intensive one.
The truffles are a good example of exactly how much work goes into making the chocolates. Each and every truffle is hand-scaled, hand-rolled and hand-dipped. Then each one is put into a little paper cup and, finally, they are boxed. And, because they are all done by hand, each one is a little bit unique. "No, they're not perfectly shaped," smiles Logan. "Sometimes they have little chocolate tails on them. That's what handmade chocolates are like."
You won't find any big, fancy machines in Carol's production facility; everything is made in small batches with the same equipment that you'll find in your own kitchen. "We use a stove and pots," explains Logan. "When you make large batches, it changes the texture and the consistency of everything."
Logan is the one who started making chocolates—over 30 years ago now—but over the years it turned into a family affair. Now both she and Grant are skilled in the art of chocolate making, and both have taken an advanced Callebaut chocolate-making course in Belgium. But it's now he who crafts all the chocolates. "I'm just the smile," laughs Logan.
She confesses that she still loves the sweet stuff, even after 30 years. But she says that's not the best part of her little family business. "People come in and find candy they haven't seen since they were kids. They're so excited, saying, 'Remember this? Remember that?'
"I like to say we sell memories—happy memories." V
Carol Logan
Carol's Quality Sweets
12519 - 102 Ave, 780.433.8650
RECIPE
Chocolate Bird Nests
2 cups coating compound chocolate (white, milk or dark, all available at Carol's Quality Sweets)
1 cup of Rice Krispies
Jelly Beans
Melt the chocolate using a double boiler. First, boil your water in the bottom of the double boiler. Remove that from the stove and put the top of the double boiler on top of it. Dump in a 1/2 cup of the chocolate. Once it has melted, add the next 1/2 cup of chocolate. Continue until all the chocolate is melted.
Add 1 cup of Rice Krispies and stir it all up.
Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie tray. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture onto the wax paper and gently form the chocolate mounds into nests. The nests can be big or small, whatever you'd like. Add 3 or more jelly beans to each nest.
Put the nests in the fridge to cool for 5 minutes. Store at room temperature.
You can also use coconut (or any other crunchy ingredient you enjoy) instead of the Rice Krispies. V
More info about Carol’s Quality Sweets →
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