Rural Missouri - February 2024 - 10

stacks of silicone molds and pounds of chocolate wait to be
transformed into scrumptious and Instagram-worthy desserts.
" I make the treats everybody loves dipped in chocolate, "
she says.
Ciara's sweet-focused business actually started due
to an unexpected hardship. She had spent more than
four years in a job she didn't like and unexpectedly lost
it. Since Valentine's Day wasn't far away, the self-taught
baker decided to make some chocolate-covered strawberries
to sell. " I actually got a lot of orders for them, and then
it just took off from there, " she says.
At fi rst Ciara used the standard chocolate you buy at
your local grocery store to dip her berries and other treats.
They tasted good, but soon her creative side got the best of
her, and she started blending multiple types of chocolate
to see if she could make her goodies just a little different
and tastier. It worked.
" I use two different brands of chocolate to get my
unique blend, " she says. " That creates a silky-smooth bite.
I use milk, dark and white chocolates, and they're all three
uniquely blended. "
Ciara started with chocolate-covered strawberries but
what spearheaded her business was a tasty little treat she
calls the cake pod. She had bought some cute silicone
molds that created small discs, so she decided to try a
small homemade cake fi lled with buttercream, covered in
chocolate and pressed into the mold.
" I posted a video of them on Facebook and everybody
wanted to try them, " she says. " Once they tried them, I got
so many orders for them. Then they tried my strawberries,
and everybody just fell in love with my little shop. "
Ciara offers the cake pods in the classic fl avors of
chocolate and vanilla and the more complex fl avors of
caramel pumpkin, cookies and cream and mocha espresso.
They are often paired with chocolate-covered pretzels, cake
pops, chocolate-covered Oreos and various berries coated
in chocolate to make an eye-catching party box.
Another popular item is her crunch grapes, which are
photo courtesy Chocolate Dippery
Above: Ciara creates custom cakes for all types of celebrations,
such as the fun birthday cake above. Customers
share an idea and then she takes it from there. Over time,
Ciara's customers have found her through word of mouth,
Facebook posts and the pop-up events she attends. Right:
Customers enjoy her chocolate-dipped pretzels, which can
be personalized for events or holidays.
10 RURAL MISSOURI | FEBRUARY 2024
green grapes dipped in white chocolate and rolled in a
strawberry crunch topping. " They are very popular, even if
they are a bit unusual, " Ciara says.
Many of Ciara's creations vary with the season. She'll do
hot cocoa bombs and hot chocolate stirrers at Christmas,
fancy caramel apples for Halloween and shamrock-shaped
sugar cookies for St. Patrick's Day.
Chocolate Dippery treats can be customized for birthday
parties, weddings, baby showers and anniversaries.
Rural Missouri - February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - February 2024
