Just desserts

Throughout the years, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates has become known to food enthusiasts in Sacramento for the precisely made and delicious desserts sold out of its tiny Midtown shop. But for owner Ginger Elizabeth Hahn, the store represents a lifelong dream realized.

Growing up, Ginger always knew she wanted to cook, but it wasn't until she attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York and apprenticed under world-renowned chefs that she discovered her true passion: chocolate.

The enterprising young chef launched her own wholesale business in 2005 and two years later opened Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates in Sacramento. Business has grown steadily every year and in 2010, she was named one of the Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America by Dessert Professional magazine.

Ginger Elizabeth offers a variety of sweet treats, but the shop has become known for its bonbons, macarons, ice cream sandwiches and seasonal desserts made with local and organic fruits. The shop actually has 24 flavors of bonbons and rotates seasonal flavors along with the macarons, which are delicate and delicious!

Ginger is committed to purchasing her chocolate from producers who pay at or above fair trade prices to growers and invest in improving farming communities. Connecting to the local agricultural community was something that was very important to Ginger from the beginning.

"We make our own jam in-house using fruit from local, sustainable farms, use organic dairy products whenever possible, and about 90 percent of our packaging is made in the U.S.," she says.

Developing relationships with farmers in their region has allowed Ginger to impart a sense of place into the company's products. She and her team seek raw materials made or raised with the same level of care and intention they put into their creations at the shop.

For more information about Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, visit gingerelizabeth.com.