New chocolate business offers the Peoria area 'a mouthful of bliss'

Paint brushes and cotton swabs are just a few of the tools Jacqueline Gauthier relies on while in the kitchen. With them, she can create colorful swirls, vibrant polka dots and sophisticated marbled motifs.

The finished designs decorate a canvas made of chocolate.

Gauthier launched Sublime Confections during the 2023 holiday season. The business sells a variety of bonbons, as well as other confections like chocolate covered espresso beans.

While bonbon making involves a touch of creativity, Gauthier said the process also requires more technical skills. Creating the shine and the delectable snap of chocolate as it breaks is a delicate process, she said.

“For me, it was that combination of science and art that really drew me in,” she said.

'It feels like a harvest': Peoria business owner overcomes barriers with new restaurant

Creating something ‘exciting and delicious’

Gauthier brings years of artistic experience to Sublime Confections.

She originally had a background in social work and early childhood education. After her children were born, Gauthier said she took a step back from her work and eventually became the director of a private school.

“I got very involved in art related things – messy art, sensory play – and I started developing out my own sensibilities in terms of becoming an artist,” Gauthier said. “I worked with painting and a bunch of different mediums, but nothing ever really clicked for me.”

Then, as the COVID-19 pandemic confined people to their homes, she turned to a hobby that was rising in popularity: baking. Gauthier said she discovered the artistic side of chocolate making soon after – which elevated the typically brown and simple treat.

“I need the eye candy of color,” she said. “I love color theory. I like making things really exciting. That’s what I want to do with the candy – is I want to make it exciting and delicious.”

Gauthier said she learned from chocolatiers on social media and began to experiment with different techniques at home. As family and friends tried her creations, she said she received an “overwhelming response.”

Yet, Gauthier remained hesitant about the idea of starting a business.

“But over time, with all the encouragement that I got from a variety of different sources, I just felt like that was the natural next step,” she said.

Her reservations faded in 2023 during a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with her brother and sister-in-law. While there, they attended a workshop on how to make chocolate truffles.

Aside from providing a “super fun experience,” she said the workshop helped alleviate some concerns about how long homemade chocolate could last. Gauthier said the workshop also showed that she did not need a large commercial space or lots of specialized equipment to get a chocolate business off the ground.

“That was a turning point for me,” she said. “That was a moment where I realized, ‘OK, this is something that has longevity for me.’”

More: New owners of a popular Pekin-based pizza food truck are ready to open for the season

‘A mouthful of bliss’

Sublime Confections features a variety of bonbons and five-piece assortments on its website.

Gauthier said she enjoys all the flavors she has created. Even so, the passion fruit ganache is a personal favorite. She said the bonbon combines a tartness with the sweetness of the chocolate.

“That is just a mouthful of bliss,” she said.

Among customers, she said favorites include the raspberry and chocolate ganache bonbon and the salted caramel bonbon. The sunbutter cream bonbon is also popular.

Gauthier said she created the flavor so a child with a peanut allergy could experience a taste similar to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

“I was so thrilled to be able to give that flavor to this child,” Gauthier said, “because he was denied something I absolutely love.”

Gauthier said customers have also requested vegan, gluten-free and dye-free chocolate options. While she is open to expanding the business’s chocolate selection, she said creating new products will take time.

Most of the bonbons currently have a shelf life of six to eight weeks, Gauthier said. While she is working to develop bonbons which will last around six months, she said longer-lasting chocolates require “more and more specific kinds of ingredients that are not necessarily things I would find in my own refrigerator.”

Hungry for the latest food news? Sign up for PJStar Dining

‘I’m not in a hurry’

Customers can find Sublime Confections at pop-up vendor events and through online ordering. Gauthier said the Zinger Zanger Shop – located at 369 Old Germantown Road in Germantown Hills – has become her “home base” for online order pickups.

Despite attending pop-up events, Sublime Confections will not be present at many farmer’s markets this summer. Gauthier said she will participate in the Sheridan Market during May and June. After that, however, she expects the weather will become too hot for selling chocolates outdoors.

Gauthier said the goal is to eventually find a commercial kitchen space so products can be sold in local shops. But she added: “I’m not in a hurry. I'm happy to take my time establishing what I have going and building up my systems of operations.”

Looking back, Gauthier said establishing Sublime Confections has been an exciting experience. She said it has been “very gratifying” to create something which is “both beautiful and delicious” for the community.

More: Peoria restaurant vows to 'keep going and fight even harder' after burglaries

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: New chocolate business sells bonbons and confections in Peoria area