One trip led to another, and suddenly, she was traveling more and more. Besides working with top chocolatiers, she also learned about the science behind chocolate making, including specifics, such as what ripe cacao pods should look like as well as what shape beans take when they are roasted and fermented.
In 2017, Thibodeaux earned her chocolatier certification through Ecole Chocolat, an online school based in Canada. In 2020, her business plan for The Touring Chocolatier was to teach a weekly truffle-making class from her home; when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she pivoted to selling at local farmers markets.
“By the end of the year, the hot cocoa bomb craze had hit, and my house was overtaken,” Thibodeaux said. “One room became all ingredients; one room became all orders ready to be picked up; and my kitchen, dining room and pantry were all production. And I was doing 12 truffle-making classes with 12 people each between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
In November 2021, Thibodeaux opened a brick-and-mortar location in Northlake.
“My ‘why’ is to share my knowledge of chocolate—where the cacao is from, how it’s grown and how it’s turned into chocolate,” she said.
In addition to teaching multiple chocolate-themed classes at the shop, using her own recipes, Thibodeaux makes and sells chocolate on site. She said 95% of her products are made with Belgian chocolate, and the remainder are made with French chocolate. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Texas pecans and sea salt caramel truffles are always on hand as well as spirit-infused options, such as amaretto, Bailey’s and more.
Thibodeaux added she also enjoys creating unique recipes, such as her raspberry cinnamon truffles.
“Truffles take three days [to make], because we make the ganache one day, roll it the next day, and we dip and decorate the third day,” she said.
The Touring Chocolatier
8356 Thompson Road, Northlake
940-647-4882
www.touringchocolatier.com
Hours: Tue., Thu. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wed., Fri.,
Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun.-Mon. closed
