Minnesota Artisan Chocolatier Earns a Dozen Medals at International Chocolate Salon Truffle Artistry Contest

St. Croix Chocolate Company earned a dozen medals, including eight silver and four bronze in the International Chocolate Salon Truffle Artistry Contest, announced on Nov. 4, 2013. The awards reflected excellence in creative packaging, flavor combinations, and truffle taste and texture. The award ceremony will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, in San Francisco, Cal., at the Fall Luxury Chocolate Salon. Judges are chocolate and culinary experts.

Owner and Head Chocolatier, Robyn Dochterman, said she is elated her truffles placed well, especially since this is the first year she has entered the contest. Dochterman, a former journalist, has reached a level of national respect for her chocolate work in just three years since opening her artisan shop in Marine on St. Croix, Minn.

Dochterman said the awards are "an affirmation of our mission," bringing the culinary arts and fine arts together. "Collaborating with fine artists on chocolate projects is a real passion of mine" she said. "I'm so pleased that the judges agreed we're doing some very special things."

Katreece Montgomery, owner of The Chocolate Addict website and blog, and one of this year's judges noted, "I loved the design of the gingko leaf box, and how the motif started with the packaging and extended onto each truffle. The color choices were vibrant, refreshing, and really popped on the dark chocolate. The box design was also unique in the way that it opened, and could be used as a keepsake even after the truffles were eaten."

Minneapolis artist Cindy Lindgren designed the ginkgo box, after Dochterman approached her about working together. Lindgren created the design, had fabric of it printed, and hand-made the boxes to which she applied the fabric. Dochterman then integrated the ginkgo design into custom dcor for four bon bons that fit into the box. Dochterman and Lindgren are also collaborating on a winter-themed box that will be released around Thanksgiving 2013.

The Truffle Artistry awards cap a year of success for Dochterman. St Croix Chocolate Company won Best Chocolate and People's Choice at Taste of Chocolate (Bloomington, Minn.) in March; was named City Pages' Best Chocolate (Minneapolis/St. Paul) in April; and earned sixth place in the Chocolatier of the Year a contest with international contestants at Pastry Live (Atlanta, Ga.) in August.

Boxes of seasonal chocolates are available for reviewing upon request, and Dochterman is available for interviews and features by phone, e-mail or in person. For additional background, please see stcroixchocolateco.com, cindylindgren.com,internationalchocolatesalon.com (competitions by category/truffle artistry) and thechocolateaddict.com.

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