Sourcing ingredients can often be a challenge. The ingredients may not be available locally or are too expensive. When I started playing around with filling bonbons, I learned that it's an industry standard to buy premade fillings and inclusions. I tried several of them, and they were okay, shelf-stable, and cheap. But they just lacked...love. And LOCAL love at that!

My goal wasn't to start a candy business, it was to make the most excellent bonbons I could make for Christmas gifts, so I splashed out for only the best ingredients. I had a handful of family recipes for toffee, fudges, and caramel. Why not make my own? And why not use the cream and butter from the farm down the road? Top-shelf booze? Check! The grocery store nuts were pretty pitiful, so I asked my local farmer at Strawberries on 902 in Greenville, NC, and he has some of the most amazing fresh pecans from that year's harvest. (Did you know the nuts in your grocery store are 2-3 years old?)

The impact the fresh ingredients had on the flavor profile of each candy. Local honey, farm direct walnuts, sweet potatoes, local distillery, and my favorite, my local coffee roaster, Lanoca Coffee Co. I use their beans for my espresso bars and the coffee cream bonbon. Honestly, I just got spoiled with these local ingredients. I've tried the recipes with emergency replacements from the good ol' grocery, but I tell ya, I'm disappointed with the batch every time.

I love that every time someone buys Ugly Chocolates, they aren't just supporting me and my family but the community at large.