Katherine Anne Confections
WHAT: Katherine Anne Confections
WHERE: 2745 W. Armitage Ave.
OUR RATING: Do It!
(katherine-anne.com)
Truffles, caramels, gourmet marshmallows, oh my! Storefront City sampled a few delicacies at Logan Square’s Katherine Anne Confections. Katherine Anne has been creating her own confections at this location since 2006, and while it’s been on Chicago’s radar for awhile, it was just nominated this year for Time Out Chicago‘s Best Sweet Shop 2013 and Katherine Anne herself was just nominated as one of Zagat’s 30 Under 30, so we were super excited to see what makes this place so hot.
Adam:
(katherine-anne.com)
The Truffle
If you’ve been a longtime reader of Storefront City, you’ll know by now that I’m completely into history. So perhaps it was the name of the Mayan Cherry Truffle that just said “Adam, this is for you”, or perhaps it was just because I like dark chocolate and spice. A MI tart cherry centre is infused with cayenne and habanero and enwrapped in a dark chocolate outside that completes this gem. Spicy and tart, it is the perfect adult sweet and is certainly true to its bloody Mayan heritage.
(katherine-anne.com)
The Marshmallow
Like many fantastic modern inventions, marshmallows originated in ancient Egypt, when the sap of the marshmallow plant was mixed with nuts and sweets to treat sore throats. Obviously, the Pharaohs decided that it far too tasty to be merely a medicine and promoted it to a confection which we still enjoy today. Katherine Anne’s Coffee Marshmallow marries this Egyptian sweet with the Ethiopian coffee from further south, to produce a spongy delectable morsel that you will quickly finish. While slightly less powerful in flavor than expected, I imagine that this would make a nice complement to any after dinner get together.
(katherine-anne.com)
The Caramel
Wonderful caramel – chewy and long-lasting, they finish most meals better than a mint would. So try the Fleur de Sel Caramel: a soft honey vanilla caramel covered in 72% cacao bittersweet chocolate and lovingly touched with a few grains of French sea salt, one of the finest varieties to be had. With a cushioned texture, botanical flavor and salty aftertaste, this is one of their bestsellers, and one can see why.
Alicia:
(katherine-anne.com)
The Truffle
It was the cashew that drew me into sampling the Cascara Truffle. It’s made with cascara, the husk from the coffee bean with notes of fruit & coffee; paired with dried huckleberries from Rare Tea Cellar Inc., toasted fresh chevre, and cascara-candied cashews. Honestly, the truffle was a bit one-noted despite the complexity in its creation. Only afterwards upon investigation did I discover that cascara is known for its laxative properties and has some precautions upon consuming…so if you’re pregnant or have problems with your kidney or appendix and the like, you may want to avoid this one.
(katherine-anne.com)
The Marshmallow
What better way to get your drink on than to infuse a marshmallow with some bubbly? The Champagne Marshmallow is pretty subtle, but you can still taste that sparkling wine in there somewhere. Perhaps not the most flavorful, but how elegant and fun!
(katherine-anne.com)
The Caramel
I am the biggest fan of using rosemary and sea salt when cooking, so when I spotted the Rosemary Sea Salt Caramel, I was definitely excited to mix some sweetness into the equation. And boy was this one a winner! A perfect blend of sweet, salty and earthiness with the rosemary, I couldn’t get enough of this caramel, which offered a savory chewiness without getting stuck to my teeth. Which, I almost would have preferred, just to be able to taste it for longer. But alas, it was gone in a snap.
(katherine-anne.com)
Final Thoughts: While known for years for their truffles, and despite the latest craze in gourmet marshmallows, the secret behind Katherine Anne Confections is actually in their caramels. And many little birdies have told us their drinking chocolate is the way to go. Obviously, this is high on our agenda next time we’re in the area, but no matter how filling that will probably be, we’ll have to order a whole box of Katherine Anne’s Rosemary Sea Salt Caramels, and maybe even a few Mayan Truffles to spice things up a bit.
P.S.: The wonders of the internet mean that you can now order Katherine Anne Confections online. So why not pick up a box of caramels
