HOWARD — Naomi Heckman still remembers the aroma of cocoa filling the air in her grandma’s kitchen.
It was there in the kitchen that Heckman learned from her grandmother’s tools of the trade. From baking pies to finding the perfect ratio of brown to white sugar in chocolate chip cookies, Heckman learned to love baking with her grandmother by her side.
Heckman morphed her passion for baking into her own business — Chocolate Treasures, which celebrated a ribbon cutting Friday at 22021 Coshocton Road Suite D.
Heckman found her specialty in chocolate at her mother-in-law’s when she passed down her chocolate moldings.
“As a hobby at first, through failure and success, practice and experimentation, I developed my chocolate blends and fillings,” Heckman states on Chocolate Treasuer’s website.
Heckman, who has been making chocolate for 20 years and selling it for 18, makes the chocolate and peanut butter staple buckeyes and various flavored smores.
Before opening a storefront, Heckman has gone to different conventions, selling her flavor-filled chocolate successfully.
Though chocolate is in the name, Heckman plans to add baked goods, like pies and cupcakes at Chocolate Treasures.
While making chocolate fillings, Heckman still remembers sitting in her grandmother’s kitchen with a smile. Baking produced joy.
“It makes me happy,” Heckman said. ” It adds a little sweetness to somebody’s life.”