Journalist Turns Into World Champion Chocolate Maker

MARINE ON ST. CROIX, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Minnesota chocolate maker is now a world truffle-making champion.

Home to a mere 700 people, one of them is a now a world champion.

"It feels wonderful. I couldn't be happier; I'm totally thrilled to tell you the truth." Robyn Dochterman said.

Dochterman was named world champion at the International Chocolate Salon Awards for her truffle artistry. The winning chocolates were coy-shaped truffles with ganache, honey and black sesame.

"It's just almost indescribable to take risks, put your work out there and have peers judge it, and have them acknowledge the level that you've achieved." Dochterman said.

But it has taken some major dedication and major risk to get here. Dochterman was a career journalist with the Star Tribune and took a buyout when the economy turned. She and her partner Deandra then started the St. Croix Chocolate Company.

"People don't get how I could go from journalism to chocolate but to me the essence of that is exactly the same, you respect the facts, you respect the science, then you can be creative and be artistic," she explained.

Ten years later, they have a Marine on St. Croix storefront full of loyal customers like Kim Lillyblad of Forest Lake, who said she can easily believe the chocolate won an international competition.

"I can cause I've eaten a lot chocolate and this is good chocolate," she said.

Dochterman works 70 hours a week, and she makes all the chocolate that's sold at the St. Croix Chocolate Company. She has also won several national chocolate awards.