Handcrafted to Perfection

Here is an article written in the Battle Creek Enquirer about Rose Confections:

WORKS FOR ME

Man doesn't need a factory to make chocolate confections

Andy Rathbun
The Enquirer

Mark Rose is in the eye of the hurricane.

Right now, things are quiet. He just finished the Christmas rush, though, and is bracing for Valentine's Day, when he'll see another surge in business.

As a chocolatier, Rose focuses his confectionery talents on truffles, amaretto squares and other custom-made designs.

He has yet to set up a shop, instead working out of the kitchen at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. Since his creations are custom made, and since he has to work around the church's schedule, he might take a week to process some orders.

Though he once worked as a network engineer, Rose's interest in his current career began decades ago in college.

"I'm of the hippie generation, if you want to call it that, and at that time I did a lot of baking," he said.

As the years passed, he was drawn toward cocoa confections, eventually starting his current business about five years ago.

Do you have any formal training?
"I took an online class to get some basics, and everything else is pretty much self-taught."

Do you have a favorite candy?
"Amaretto squares. I like some of the café au laits. It's a flavor that's made with a light coffee flavor."

Do you ever eat Hershey's?
"I can't eat a Hershey bar."

Why not?
"It's tasteless. It's chalk."

Do you ever eat store-bought chocolate?
"The only off-the-shelf real, readily available chocolate I sometimes eat is Dove dark chocolate. I think that's about the best commercially readily available chocolate."

What's your preference: Dark or milk chocolate?
"I love dark chocolate. I think it's better. I think the taste is far superior. It's better for your health because of the flavonoids in them, which is the antioxidants."

You use imported chocolate in your confections, right?
"Yes, it's made in Spain. It's a Spanish chocolate. It's very high-end chocolate."

What's your price range?
"Twelve truffles run $22.50."

That sounds like about the cost of Godiva.
"I think the advantage I have over stuff like Godiva is that (mine's) fresh. Godiva's stuff can sit out on the shelf for two, three months."

One of your designs is of chocolate dominoes. How do you make those?
"All those kinds of chocolate are made in molds. ... The hardest thing with those is putting on the dots. I don't do enough to have a real steady hand. There are people who can just (dot, dot, dot, dot)."

It seems like making confections has an element of art to it.
"If it doesn't look good, people will not buy it or will not eat it. That's the thing. That's why they say most restaurants and all food stuff, it's presentation. Sometimes that's almost as important or more important than taste."

Do the Willy Wonka movies bother you because of factual inaccuracies?
"No."

Andy Rathbun covers City Hall and local news. He can be reached at 962-3380 or arathbun@battlecr.gannett.com.