Barks with Bite

Winchester Chocolatier Spins Candy Dreams into Reality

By Warren Rojas

Photo by Kate Bohler

Shenandoah Fine Chocolates’ chief dream weaver Anne Brown readily admits to soliciting ideas from her most trusted customers and religiously scanning various Food Network shows for inspiration. But, quite often, her next gourmet indulgence takes shape when she’s completely knocked out.

“I’ll wake up and think, ‘Hmm, wouldn’t those taste good together?’” the chocolatier says of her nocturnal strategy sessions.

Eat your heart out, Annie Lennox.

Though she primarily deals in gourmet truffles and other high-end confections, Brown also cranks out an amazing number of wildly tempting barks, including:

Bacon Bark: savory, smoky bacon drenched in dark chocolate and threaded with sizzling chipotle spice;

Graham’s California Crunch (an homage to her West Coast-loving progeny): crushed homemade graham crackers and Golden Grahams in milk chocolate; and,

Shenandoah Charms: Lucky Charms cereal, bonus mini marshmallows and dashes of vanilla and/or nutmeg locked into a slab of cocoa buttery white chocolate.

Shenandoah Fine Chocolates: 3111 Valley Ave., Winchester; 540-535-0010. To learn more about the Browns’ custom candy shop, or to place a special order, visit: www.shenandoahfinechocolates.com.

(August 2011)