Cyndy's Sweet Treats Cures Chocolate Cravings

Walking down the stairs into Cyndy Keene’s basement, the faint scent of something sweet can be smelled in the air.

It isn’t until you’ve walked into her commercial-grade kitchen, however, that the smell really hits you. It’s not the stacked trays of chocolates in various forms that will make a person’s stomach growl with hunger but rather the chocolate and caramel melting in pots on the stove.

Keene operates her business, Cyndy’s Sweet Treats, out of a kitchen in her basement. She started the business five years ago when her five children were all under age 6 and Keene wanted to work.

“I couldn’t just go out and get a job,” said Keene, adding that her husband, Rob, works odd shifts as a police officer.

It was her husband’s position as a police officer that helped inspire Keene to start her candy-making business. She often made goodies and sent them to work with her husband.

“They kept saying, ‘She needs to sell this stuff,’” said Keene. Her husband eventually set up a website for Keene to sell her goods.

“He said, ‘I know you can do this,’” she said.

After doing some research, Keen realized she’d need a McHenry County Health Department-approved kitchen.

“We took the leap of faith and remodeled our whole basement,” she said.

That basement kitchen is home to everything Keene needs to make her treats, including a near commercial-grade stove, candy thermometers, bowls of all sizes, cooling pans and, of course, all of the necessary ingredients. There are also gift boxes and bags.

Keene considers her kitchen to be her haven away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. During busy times of the year, particularly around holidays and before craft fairs, she sometimes finds herself spending up to 18 hours a day in that kitchen.

“It relaxes me to bake and make candy,” said Keene.

She crafts a variety of treats, including creams dipped in chocolate. There are key lime, caramel apple, banana cream pie and even root beer creams in Keene’s candy cookbook.

“I just try to come up with flavors that are super unique,” she said. “It’s just fun. I have a peanut butter and jelly cream that tastes just like the sandwich.”

Her fruit-flavored creams, including raspberry and pineapple, are all made with real fruit.

Keene also makes chocolate-dipped pretzels, fudge and cake balls, which are a pound cake dipped in chocolate. For Easter, she used those cake balls to make bunnies. She can also be found making chocolate-covered potato chips, popcorn and cookies. Her “ducks” are much like “turtles,” with caramel, chocolate and pecans. She added that her caramel apples often end up weighing more than a pound when she is done with them.

“What’s cool about our apples is we dip them in caramel, roll them in nuts, dip them in chocolate and then roll them in nuts again,” said Keene.

Keene is a self-taught candy artist. She learned some techniques from her uncle, who enjoyed making candy.

“Then I just tinkered with different recipes,” said Keene. Friends and family members, including her children, have even offered up flavor suggestions. “My kids keep wanting me to come up with a coffee flavor.”

Keene’s efforts have garnered her seven awards, including the three top awards at the 2008 Chicago Chocolate Salon. She is also featured in “The Chocolate Guide” by Taste TV.

What she enjoys the most is “the look on somebody’s face when they bite into my candy, tasting the difference between a freshly-made candy versus one that’s mass-produced,” said Keene.

She regularly takes her chocolate on the road in her red Cyndy’s Sweet Treats trailer, showing off her chocolate creations at various craft shows. This weekend, she’ll be at a craft fair at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

Keene sells all of her products through her website, www.cyndysweettreats.com. Her products are also sold at Countryside Flower Shop.

Keene added that she is still taking orders for Easter. Aside from the cake ball bunnies, all of her chocolates are decorated with spring colors. She also has bags of molded chocolates shaped like eggs, chicks and other popular Easter items.

Overall, her business is doing very well, said Keene.

“We’ve grown every year,” she said. “Eventually, the goal is to have a store.

“We’re still considered an extra. You need to get food from the grocery store. You don’t need chocolate,” said Keene. “But I always tell people you have to enjoy life.”