Dublin’s got a golden ticket as a world-class chocolatier Susan Branham has opened her brick and mortar store, Hot Tempered Chocolates inside Blackjack Office Center.
Susan, who retired from Dublin Elementary School as an instructional aide, recently opened her shop which showcases handcrafted, painted and molded bonbons, truffles, candy and gluten-free cheesecakes. She also worked at Tarleton State University for 13 years.
Her passion has always been baking, something that eventually took her to Wiseman House in Hico to take a few chocolatemaking classes.
“That’s when I got bit by the chocolate bug,” she said.
Deciding to try her hand at making chocolates professionally, Susan knew she needed more training and sought out formal schooling.
Training at Ecole Chocolat Professional School of Chocolate Arts in Canada, an online school that takes entrepreneuring chocolatiers through an eight month process, allowed her to receive the formal education to turn her passion into a craft and business.
The school included an in-depth understanding of chocolate, the move from that foundation into professional production skills, modern decoration techniques, equipment and supply sourcing, and production issues involved in opening a successful chocolate business.
Though Susan had great fun in learning how to make bonbons and much more, she didn’t enjoy the process of writing papers for each and every experience.
“I wasn’t good at school. I hated writing papers,” she said.
Thankfully, her friend, Cindy McMann was on the scene to help her and proofread her work throughout the experience.
In 2007, Susan completed the course and began selling chocolates from her home, under cottage laws.
As a red-head who tempers chocolate on a regular basis, Hot Tempered Chocolates seemed like the perfect fit for a name, and Susan’s nephew designed a custom logo featuring wild hair.
When Nikki’s Neat Eats was in business, Susan’s chocolates were sold in the business but with so many people purchasing them, it was simply difficult for her to stay up on her supply.
But she wasn’t ready to take the plunge of opening her own physical location so she continued to pray about it.
Enter the answer to her prayers – Karen Wright.
When Wright decided to open up the Blackjack Office Center, Susan knew it was time.
“She said, ‘I want to help you fulfill your dream,’” Susan said about Wright. “It afforded me the opportunity to have my own shop and I’m so grateful.”
Now Susan gets to be surrounded by her passion and the artistic nature of the chocolate industry. She works alongside her good friend and candy-helper Tresa Anderson.
“My favorite part is getting to see the shine of a bonbon and knowing I did a really good job,” Susan said. “I’m still pinching myself. This is a fairy tale, and I’m so happy to start doing business on a daily basis.”
Susan also enjoys the interaction with the public as is indicated by her sign encouraging those who may have a chocolate, cheesecake or candy “emergency” to knock during her closed workdays.
Part of the creative aspect of Susan’s chocolate work is combining flavors and seeing what works, and what doesn’t.
Some of her most popular flavors include the Texas Pecan, Smokin’ Texas Pecan and the Passion Fruit.
Susan’s bonbons have been entered in numerous competitions. She received an award for a vegan one in the International Chocolate Salon and Artisan Chocolate Awards and was named as an exceptional chocolatier in the contest for 2022.
As part of the community she is providing free treats for students at Dublin Elementary School who receive “shout out” cards which are given to the kids when they need an encouragement, have done something extraordinary or simply as an incentive.
As the holiday season approaches, Susan will be working on peanut brittle, toffee, cinnamon candy and homemade marshmallows to go alongside homemade hot cocoa.
“I will not be doing hot chocolate bombs this year,” she said. After making 500 of them in 2020 during the pandemic, she decided that she is done with the timeintensive treat (for now).
She is open Wednesday-Friday 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Monday and Tuesday closed for rest/ production.
She may close early on Thursday and Friday during football season in order to watch games but hours are updated on Facebook if closing early.