Paint brushes and cotton swabs are just some of the tools Jacqueline Gauthier relies on in the kitchen. With them, she can create colorful swirls, vibrant polka dots and subtle marble patterns.
Finished designs adorn a canvas of chocolate.
Gauthier launched Sublime Confections during the holiday season in 2023. The business sells a variety of candies as well as other confections, such as chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Although candy-making involves a dose of creativity, Gauthier said the process also requires more technical skills. Creating the shine and delightful snap of the chocolate when it breaks is a delicate process, she said.
“For me, that combination of science and art really appealed to me,” she said.
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Creating something “exciting and delicious”
Gauthier brings years of artistic experience to Sublime Confections.
She originally had a background in social work and early childhood education. After the birth of her children, Gauthier said she stepped back from her job and eventually became a private school principal.
“I got very involved in art-related things — messy art, sensory play — and started to develop my own sensibilities in terms of becoming an artist,” Gauthier said. “I worked with drawing and a bunch of different mediums, but I never liked anything.”
Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic confined people to their homes, she turned to a hobby that was gaining popularity: baking. Gauthier said she soon after discovered the artistic side of chocolate making – which elevated the typically brown and simple treat.
“I need some colorful eye candy,” she said. “I love color theory. I like to make things really exciting. That’s what I want to do with candy—I want to make it exciting and delicious.”
Gauthier said she learned from chocolatiers on social media and began experimenting with different techniques at home. As family and friends sampled her creations, she said she received an “overwhelming response.”
Still, Gauthier remains hesitant about the idea of starting a business.
“But as time went on, with all the encouragement I got from different sources, I just felt like it was the natural next step,” she said.
Her reserves disappeared in 2023 during a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with her brother and sister-in-law. While there, they attended a workshop on how to make chocolate truffles.
As well as providing a “super fun experience”, she said the workshop helped ease some concerns about how long homemade chocolate could last. Gauthier said the workshop also showed her that she doesn’t need a large retail space or a lot of specialized equipment to start a chocolate business.
“It was a turning point for me,” she said. “That was a moment where I realized, ‘Okay, this is something that has longevity for me.'”
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“Gluck Bliss”
Sublime Confections offers a variety of candies and five-piece assortments on its website.
Gauthier said she enjoys all the flavors she’s created. However, the passion fruit ganache is a personal favorite. She said the candy combines tartness with the sweetness of chocolate.
“It’s just a mouthful of bliss,” she said.
Among customers, she said favorites include raspberry and chocolate ganache candy and salted caramel candy. Sun butter candy is also popular.
Gauthier said she created the flavor so a child with a peanut allergy could experience a taste similar to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
“I was so excited to be able to give that taste to that kid,” Gauthier said, “because he was denied something that I really love.”
Gauthier said customers have also requested vegan, gluten-free and dye-free chocolate options. While she is open to expanding the business’ chocolate selection, she said creating new products will take time.
Most of the candies currently have a shelf life of six to eight weeks, Gauthier said. As she works to develop candies that will last about six months, she said longer-lasting chocolates require “more and more specific types of ingredients that aren’t necessarily things I would find in my own refrigerator.”
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“I am not in a hurry”
Customers can find Sublime Confections at vendor pop-up events and through online ordering. Gauthier said the Zinger Zanger store — located at 369 Old Germantown Road in Germantown Hills — has become her “home base” for picking up online orders.
Despite its presence at pop-up events, Sublime Confections won’t be at many farmers markets this summer. Gauthier said he will be participating in the Sheridan Market in May and June. After that, though, she expects the weather to get too hot to sell chocolates outdoors.
Gauthier said the goal is to eventually find a commercial kitchen space so the produce can be sold in local stores. But she added: “I’m in no rush. I’m happy to take the time to establish what I’m doing and build my systems of operations.”
Looking back, Gauthier said creating Sublime Confections was an exciting experience. She said it was “very nice” to create something that was “both beautiful and tasty” for the community.
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