Kaebisch sweetens downtown Winter Garden

Fresh chocolate is key to offering a quality product, says Anna Kaebisch Burnett, who has opened Kaebisch Chocolate with her husband, Adolfo Burnett, in downtown Winter Garden. They work with raw material from Belgium, making fresh chocolate every day without preservatives.

The store previously was located in the Stoneybrook West area, and customers were frequently telling the Burnetts they should be on downtown Plant Street. When this location opened up, they closed the first store and started renovating the downtown space.

Kaebisch Chocolate opened Nov. 25, just in time for the crowds that Light Up Winter Garden and Christmas parades bring.

Customers can select from chocolate bars, bonbons and truffles to orange peel dipped in chocolate, macadamia nuts coated in chocolate, cakes and macarons to coffee, tea, hot chocolate and fondue. During the holidays, chocolate Christmas trees and gingerbread men are available, as are peppermint bark and truffle tone cake.

Adolfo Burnett’s simple answer to why their chocolate is different: “fresh and quality.”

“There’s a huge difference when you have fresh chocolate instead of mass-produced chocolate made to be seated in a shelf for a long time,” he said. “The right techniques and premium raw material makes all the difference.”

Experimenting with flavors intrigues Kaebisch Burnett, and she does it often, mixing textures and fillings such as hazelnut with caramel, warming spices like curry and cayenne, coconut and rum, raspberry, Earl Grey tea, fresh citrus fruits, champagne, fresh herbs and Caribbean espresso.

WHERE IT STARTED

Anna Kaebisch Burnett, who was born and raised in Brazil, began making her own chocolate Easter eggs and bonbons as a teen, experimenting with different recipes. She became a chocolatier after many years of research traveling to the United States, France and Belgium, looking for the best raw chocolate materials.

She learned chocolate secrets and tested her chocolate creations, all the while working in a family food business. She made chocolate and filled orders in her spare time. When she decided she wanted to start her own business, she dedicated her training to becoming a chef chocolatier, attending courses and furthering her research of ganaches.

She developed her own techniques for manipulating chocolate and, in 2007, she opened her first store of sophisticated, artisanal chocolates in Brasilia.

When touring the U.S., the couple visited Winter Garden and were immediately drawn to the area. In addition to the new downtown location, there are three Kaebisch Chocolate stores in Brazil.
“For me, the secret continues to be something I always heard from older individuals,” Kaebisch Burnett said. “When your work is something you enjoy, the chance of being successful is much greater because you act with effort and dedication.”

Contact Amy Quesinberry Rhode at [email protected].