{"id":19742,"date":"2024-01-22T17:53:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T17:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/?p=19742"},"modified":"2024-01-25T15:49:59","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T15:49:59","slug":"chocolate-covered-goodness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/","title":{"rendered":"Chocolate-Covered Goodness"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Dessert artist crafts mouthwatering sweets and treats<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Ciara Kennell, Valentine\u2019s Day is a series of numbers: 900 strawberries, 95 pounds of chocolate, 14-hour days and hundreds of happy customers. She wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Since 2021, Ciara has been making sweet treats through her home-based business, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/chocolatedipperylux.com\">Chocolate Dippery<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At her home in the small town of Belle, Ciara\u2019s tiny kitchen is a hive of creativity. Sprinkles of every variety and color, luscious strawberries, stacks of silicone molds and pounds of chocolate wait to be transformed into scrumptious and Instagram-worthy desserts. \u201cI make the treats everybody loves dipped in chocolate,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19745\" style=\"width: 792px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19745\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19745\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Chocolate-Dippery024-782x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" width=\"782\" height=\"1024\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19745\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ciara Kennell, owner of the Chocolate Dippery in Belle, makes unique and beautiful sweet treats.<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ciara\u2019s sweet-focused business actually started due to an unexpected hardship. She had spent more than four years in a job she didn\u2019t like and unexpectedly lost it. Since Valentine\u2019s Day wasn\u2019t far away, the self-taught baker decided to make some chocolate-covered strawberries to sell. \u201cI actually got a lot of orders for them, and then it just took off from there,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first 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.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI use two different brands of chocolate to get my unique blend,\u201d she says. \u201cThat creates a silky-smooth bite. I use milk, dark and white chocolates, and they\u2019re all three uniquely blended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 100%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-19742 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-large'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/unknown-6\/'><img width=\"803\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unknown-6-803x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unknown-6-803x1024.jpg 803w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unknown-6-480x612.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 803px, 100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/dippery_037\/'><img width=\"785\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_037-785x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_037-785x1024.jpg 785w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_037-480x626.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 785px, 100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/chocolate-dippery010_2\/'><img width=\"1024\" height=\"239\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Chocolate-Dippery010_2-1024x239.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Chocolate-Dippery010_2-980x229.jpg 980w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Chocolate-Dippery010_2-480x112.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/dippery_030\/'><img width=\"765\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_030-765x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_030-765x1024.jpg 765w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_030-480x642.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 765px, 100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/dippery_034\/'><img width=\"770\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_034-770x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_034-770x1024.jpg 770w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dippery_034-480x638.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 770px, 100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/chocolate-covered-goodness\/unknown-7\/'><img width=\"828\" height=\"985\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unknown-7.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-19754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unknown-7.jpg 828w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Unknown-7-480x571.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 828px, 100vw\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-19754'>\n\t\t\t\tFor Valentine\u2019s Day the top treat is Ciara\u2019s chocolate-covered strawberries. Other goodies include cake pods, crunch grapes, chocolate-covered pretzels, custom cakes and personalized boxes.  She adorns her treats with everything from colorful sprinkles to gold leaf. \u201cMy favorite thing to do is like the gold splats; it feels like it\u2019s my signature,\u201d she says.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 filled with buttercream, covered in chocolate and pressed into the mold.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI posted a video of them on Facebook and everybody wanted to try them,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ciara offers the cake pods in the classic flavors of chocolate and vanilla and the more complex flavors 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.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another popular item is her crunch grapes, which are green grapes dipped in white chocolate and rolled in a strawberry crunch topping. \u201cThey are very popular, even if they are a bit unusual,\u201d Ciara says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19746\" style=\"width: 580px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19746\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19746 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/cake-test-570x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate Dippery\" width=\"570\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/cake-test-570x1024.jpg 570w, https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/cake-test-480x862.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 570px, 100vw\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19746\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">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\u2019s customers have found her through word of mouth, Facebook posts and the pop-up events she attends.<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many of Ciara\u2019s creations vary with the season. She\u2019ll do hot cocoa bombs and hot chocolate stirrers at Christmas, fancy caramel apples for Halloween and shamrock-shaped sugar cookies for St. Patrick\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chocolate Dippery treats can be customized for birthday parties, weddings, baby showers and anniversaries. Beyond her chocolate-dipped goodies, Ciara also crafts custom cakes. She\u2019s created confectionery masterpieces that range from a Kansas City Chiefs football field to a hot pink Barbie cake with disco balls to an elegant two-tiered wedding cake adorned with real flowers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ciara\u2019s treats can range in price from $12 to $65, depending on the quantity, size and personalization. For example, a half dozen cake pods cost $15 and a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries cost $40. Cakes range from $25 to more than $300. She continually tracks food trends and looks for inspiration online from other bakers. It just takes a tiny idea for her to marinate on and create something new and uniquely hers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t really copy off anybody,\u201d Ciara says. \u201cSometimes customers will send me an inspiration photo or two, and I go based off of that. But it is still going to be my own creation in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the last three years, Ciara has run her business solo. During busy times, she hires a friend and her boyfriend to be extra sets of hands for making and delivering treats. Customers can pick up their goodies from her home in Belle, or she\u2019ll make deliveries to Jefferson City, Rolla and Linn. \u201cThere\u2019s people who come from an hour away to pick up stuff from me,\u201d Ciara says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As she reflects on her small business, Ciara says her customers have been the most surprising part. \u201cI can\u2019t believe all the customers I have and how loyal they are. My customers keep coming back \u2014 it\u2019s amazing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ciara grew up in Belle and loves raising her daughters, Thara and Zayda, in the same place. \u201cIt\u2019s good to be in a small town because of the sense of community,\u201d she says. \u201cMany of my customers are here; the community is great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Ciara loves making all kinds of sweets and goodies, chocolate-covered strawberries are still her favorite. She is looking forward to helping make Valentine\u2019s Day just a little sweeter for her customers. Last year she dipped 900 strawberries in just a few days \u2014 maybe this year she\u2019ll top 1,000.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>You can contact Ciara Kennell at chocolatedippery@gmail.com. Find her on Facebook at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/chocolatedipperylux.com\">www.facebook.com\/chocolatedipperylux.com<\/a>. Treats can be picked up in Belle or delivered to Jefferson City, Linn and Rolla. She accepts payments through Venmo and PayPal.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dessert artist crafts mouthwatering sweets and treats For Ciara Kennell, Valentine\u2019s Day is a series of numbers: 900 strawberries, 95 pounds of chocolate, 14-hour days and hundreds of happy customers. She wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Since 2021, Ciara has been making sweet treats through her home-based business, Chocolate Dippery. At her home in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":468,"featured_media":19808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[270,10],"tags":[278,277,276,279],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19742"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19742"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19755,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19742\/revisions\/19755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}