Candy making supplies in the suburbs?

I searched around through some past threads, but either they were very old or recommended online sources.

Every year I make a lot of chocolates around the holidays, but we usually order our supplies online. This isn't a big deal in November, but in June I'm either looking at inflated costs to ship or a big melted mess.

I am looking for someplace (preferably in either the NW suburbs or the Oak Brook area, though I can be somewhat flexible) to buy untempered chocolate. I'm not looking for bulk, this is a relatively small truffle-making project and I don't need 5lb bags or anything.

I know of CakeWalk, but I was hoping to find a suburban location, and most of the little candy making supply shops don't have web presences, that I can find.

I used to go to Bev's in the Gurnee area, but she closed four or five years ago and I haven't been able to find anything local since.

Thanks

- Jen

Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table carry Guittard chocolate discs in 1 lb boxes. Guittard works really well in chocolate making. But I believe both stores mark it up pretty heavily vs. buying it on line

That's funny, I looked at WS at Oak Brook yesterday and they didn't have any, just tempered chocolate chunks for baking (I didn't ask though).

I do have a SLT near me, I'll try them. I'm looking for about two pounds of semi or milk and a pound of white.

Thanks.

If you ever make it into the city Blommer has a little store at their factory with some decent pricing.

You could try Cost Plus for Ghiradelli or Trader Joes Pound Plus bars. The white chocoate is harder to find. I want someplace to buy couverture in bulk and can't find it either.

That's funny, I looked at WS at Oak Brook yesterday and they didn't have any, just tempered chocolate chunks for baking (I didn't ask though).

I guess it's possible it's a seasonal product for both of them. I did buy some at WS in March and saw it during the winter at SLT.

Marmish wrote:You could try Cost Plus for Ghiradelli or Trader Joes Pound Plus bars. The white chocoate is harder to find. I want someplace to buy couverture in bulk and can't find it either.

The Pound Plus bars will be my fallback (I've used them in the past and like them quite a lot), but I was hoping to find something untempered for the fillings -- I just prefer the mouthfeel. Not sure what to do about the white. I saw some ghiradelli vanilla white chocolate bars that I could use in a pinch, but the white truffles will be key lime so I'm not sure if the extra vanilla will be distracting.

I know of a little shop in Madison but I don't think I'll have time between now and when I need it.

rickster wrote:

That's funny, I looked at WS at Oak Brook yesterday and they didn't have any, just tempered chocolate chunks for baking (I didn't ask though).

I guess it's possible it's a seasonal product for both of them. I did buy some at WS in March and saw it during the winter at SLT.

I might just have missed it, I was initially there to buy the Star Wars pancake molds for my nephews and looked for the chocolate as an afterthought.

Just an update: Whole Foods in Schaumburg had callebut bulk blocks in milk, semisweet, bittersweet, and white. The white was the best unexpected surprise.

while not exactly what I was looking for, it'll do.