Truffles are a bite-size burst of chocolate nirvana.
This month, Hilda Charles and Sheryl Layton celebrate ten years sweetening other people's lives with a range of confections in flavors classic to whimsical.
The owners of Charles Layton Chocolates (a moniker compiled from their last names, not one of their dads as many people ask) create, market and distribute truffles throughout the region.
Making the smooth and creamy delights in the commercial kitchen of the Unity Church, they whip up batches of everything from white chocolate cherry, dark chocolate peppermint, milk chocolate mocha, dark chocolate hazelnut and dark chocolate orange.
They make 16 flavors in all by hand -- mixing, rolling, coating and packaging each one one at a time. They can make up to a 1,000 truffles a day.
"We're making little bits of joy," said Layton, noting that the company's tagline is "Heavenly."
Custom flavors delight consumers and challenge both classically trained chef Layton and marketer extraordinaire Charles.
Surfing on customer suggestions as well as Charles' southwestern roots, the company also makes truffles featuring chipotle, wasabi, balsamic vinegar, amaretto and seasonal fillings.
A partnership with Chateau Grand Traverse led to truffles featuring their Riesling wine while a more recent connection with Right Brain Brewery merges innovative their beers with chocolate. Charles Layton Chocolates also uses bourbon for ones sold in Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen in Elk Rapids and margarita and mojito flavors for truffles offered at Red Mesa Grill.
"I'm always looking for new ideas to challenge Sheryl," said Charles, who serves as marketing director and vice president of the company.
The most popular flavor over the years has remained the original one developed to launch the business: dark chocolate cherry.
"We sell ten times more of those than anything else," said Layton. "It's a tart cherry concentrate, chocolate and a little bit of cream."
Layton, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, worked as a chef for years knowing she wanted to create her own business. She and partner Charles settled on truffles in 1998 as an adventure that they could both contribute to given Charles' extensive marketing and sales experience.
The decision was also based on Layton's affinity for the complex creation.
"In a chef's world, a chocolate truffle is time-consuming, temperamental little candy and a lot of chefs don't like to make them," said Layton. "When I learned how to do it, I loved it and got a passion for it and was good at it."
Before officially starting Charles Layton Chocolates and rolling out flavors one by one, the new entrepreneurs did their homework. They experimented with recipes, blind taste-tested chocolates from multiple suppliers and lined up sources for other key ingredients.
"We wanted everything to be consistent," said Layton.
Marketing wise, the possibilities for truffles are endless. Their first distributor, American Spoon Foods, is still on board and Charles has signed on wineries, breweries and bed and breakfasts. Gift baskets are another facet of the business.
A Web site launched December 1 opened the door to increased direct sales, shifting their business plan to include retail as well as wholesale.
Custom labeling is an important option offered by Charles Layton Chocolates. This feature allows a business, a wedding couple or conference to add their logo, name or message to whatever size box of truffles they want to distribute.
"It's a lot of fun, what I like is asking them to try one before they make a decision," said Charles of her outreach efforts with potential clients. "We have our own labels, our own line, but I prefer for them
to have their own private label."
While Layton has a chef's job and makes truffles around her work schedule, Charles is involved in the business full time. She pitches in with the making as well, doing most of the rolling, coating and packaging of the truffles, which have a shelf life of six to eight weeks.
While happy with their church kitchen, where they are members of the congregation, the pair envisions one day having their own production shop. As the business steadily grows and breaks now ground, the sky's the limit for truffles.
"I thought this was going to be seasonal but about the third year, I realized that no, it's not," said Charles, who puts in 12- to 14-hour days during the summer but also keeps busy year round.
"We've made lots of growth spurts and the latest is the Web site."
For more information, call 938-9865 or go to www.charleslaytonchocolates.com.
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