Chocolate Festival offers sweet treats in Naperville

On the back of Carly Drohan's chef jacket are a handful of signatures from culinary artists she admires.

There's a signature from “Everyday Italian” Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, whom 13-year-old Drohan met at a Crate and Barrel store. The aspiring chef was first in line to meet one of her idols and arrived at 5 a.m., six hours before the book signing.

Another signature is from “Ace of Cakes” Food Network star Duff Goldman, whom Drohan met at an Iowa Food and Wine Expo two years ago. His office manager Mary Alice Fallon-Yeskey even put her John Hancock on the jacket.

“Top Chef Masters” Winner Rick Bayless has signed and Food Network “Sweet Dreams” host Gale Gand even drew a pie next to her name.

“I feel like these people actually want to talk to me,” Drohan said about everyone she met. “They are role models to keep going.”

She knows she's not ready to compete in the big leagues yet, but for now she's ready to begin demonstrating her talents at Naperville's eighth annual NCO Youth and Family Services Chocolate Festival.

Drohan is one of 12 bakers presenting their skills at the festival, which will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Neuqua Valley High School, 3220 Cedar Glade Drive in Naperville. There, she will be showing children how to make “Chocolate Dots,” made of pretzels, chocolate and holiday candies.

At the festival the smell of chocolate will waft around a room filled with vendors, each offering 1,500 pieces of delicious treats, said Dawn Portner, NCO special events coordinator. The vendors also will have products for sale for those who want take some chocolaty items home.

It takes the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory two weeks just to prepare for the day, said Heather Mansholt, owner of the Naperville store. This year the store will bring its chocolate-covered strawberries, gourmet caramel apples, heart-shaped brownie bites, fudge cups and avalanche bark for people to snack on.

Mansholt will be joined by three other employees to tell others about her store's delicacies. She said her business has participated in the event for the past three years to introduce new products to the community.

Besides sampling the treats, families can explore a children's area where kids can burn off some of that sugar by jumping in inflatables and playing carnival-style games. Visitors also can enjoy performances by dancers and martial artists in the entertainment area.

And for those who are up for a challenge, look no further than the Sweet Treats competition. The contest asks everyone from amateurs to professional chefs to bake something unique that looks and tastes delicious.

The competition is fairly new, having been held just three times in the event's eight years, said Christina Melville, NCO operations assistant. Before the Sweet Treats contest was a Chocolate Competition that judged entries on their aesthetics rather than taste. After looking at the events other baking festivals held, the NCO decided to give the Sweet Treats Competition a try.

The switch appears to be a hit. The number of contestants grows each year and Melville said NCO is shooting for 35 entries this year. She said she sees everything from grandmothers' famous chocolate chip cookie recipes to a cake that spins around on an electronic carousel.

Contestants can enter their treats in one of four categories: cookies, brownies/bars, candies and cakes. The 12- to 15-person judging panel will rate entries on their taste, creativity and appearance, and awards are given to the top contenders in the younger and older divisions. Once the judging is over, event goers are encouraged to sample some of the delectable entries.

Drohan will be entering a cake in the competition this year, hoping for a three-peat in the contest. She said that to prepare for the festival, she invites her neighbors and friends to sample her entry and tell her how she could improve her recipe.

It's these types of competitions that give Drohan the type of experience that can help make her cooking dreams become a reality. She hopes to continue her career at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in California and eventually become a Food Network star.

And with the amount of talent she has at her age, she may be the one signing someone else's chef jacket in the future.

Festival admission is $7 for adults, $3 for seniors and children 6 to 18 years old, and free for children 5 and younger. Proceeds from the event will be donated to NCO programs and services. The Naperville-based agency provides counseling, prevention education and transitional shelter for youth in DuPage County.

For information, visit ncoyouth.org.

If you go

What: Chocolate Festival to benefit NCO Youth and Family Services

Where: Neuqua Valley High School Gold Campus, 3220 Center Glade Drive, Naperville

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15

Cost: $7 for adults, $3 for seniors and children 6 to 18 years old, free for children 5 and younger

Info: ncoyouth.org