Amanda Wright, co-owner and chocolatier extraordinaire at A519 Chocolate has something sweet up her sleeve for spring: a new line of bright truffles in honor of the changing season.
Since their launch in June 2015, A519 Chocolate has rapidly become a staple in the Pittsburgh dessert community. The brand is known for its modern and artistic approach to chocolate-making. Not only do their chocolates have unique and delicious flavors – s’mores, gingersnap, hot chocolate, ice cream sundae, peanut-butter pretzel, and lemonade, just to name a few – but every truffle is crafted into a unique shape, and hand painted with a modern design.
“I like that it is so surprising for people that you can eat them,” says Wright, who co-owns the company with creative director and co-owner Andy Rape. “It brings a new experience and a new level to enjoying a chocolate. We want to have a fun product that is really luxurious. Something that is worth eating.”
For the Spring 2017 collection, A519’s special approach to chocolate-making is no different.
“We wanted the collection to be colorful and reflect the optimism of spring, things like finally having fresh food and flowers. We tried to capture that in the line. The design was also a little pop art inspired,” says Wright.
Some of the seasonally-inspired treats in the new collection include a Lime Truffle with lime curd, graham cracker and vanilla marshmallow, a Spring Sangria Truffle with Pittsburgh Winery’s white blend in a white chocolate ganache with a candied strawberry, a Banana Truffle filled with a bananas fosters flambeed with Maggie’s Farm Rum, and Mandarin Honeysuckle.
So how do they pack so many flavors into one little chocolate? And, where are they getting the ideas for all of the unique flavors?
“My flavors are really inspired by dishes in restaurants, or even the way menus change in restaurants,” Wright says. “Most of the work behind crafting the flavors starts with a conversation between Andy and I. We have very different tastes, which works well because I go for a little more adventurous, weird stuff, and he like more traditional things, so we find a happy medium.”
Once the idea has been formulated, the next step begins.
“We make all the fillings from scratch so it is really fun developing the flavors and figuring out each little component. I try really hard to have multiple layers and compose a bite that has a lot of flavors instead of just a single note of chocolate. The designs are more of a process.” she says. “We will have an idea for some colors and I will make a few samples to see which ones we like, and which ones fit together.”
In addition to their seasonal lines, A519 has a signature collection that is available year-round, and creates special batches for events and and corporations, like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Allegheny Health Network. Considering business is booming, it is a good thing that Wright has always loved chocolate.
“I decided to pursue culinary school and it was during that time that I fell in love with chocolate,” she says. “I knew that after culinary school and after working I wanted to open my own chocolate business. People always assume I would get sick of truffles, but I really don’t.”
The A519 Chocolate Spring 2017 is now available. Truffles can be found at Mon Aimee Chocolate in the Strip District, Wildcard in Lawrenceville, Maggie and Stella’s in Oakland, the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland, Gather in Sewickley, and the Whole Foods in the South Hills, or ordered online. A519 launches new collections seasonally and with the holidays, and is planning something special for their second birthday this summer.
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