It was gold that first put Nevada City on the map, but in the 1980s it was the truffles. Before the huge chocolate boom of the 1990s, Rudy Udarbe and Willem DeGroot began selling truffles at their elegant shop on Broad Street. This year, they look forward to their 25th anniversary at the same location.

Originally from Holland, Chef DeGroot came to the U.S. as a young man with his family. He spent thirteen years as a Capuchin monk in a Franciscan monastery. It was here that his secret recipes and the passion for chocolate and baking were born. These same recipes are a carefully guarded secret behind the doors of the Truffle Shop kitchen.

In the early 80s, Chef DeGroot and Rudy Udarbe were partners in a landscaping company. Looking for a new line of work and wanting to do something befitting the town they loved, they combined their talents and opened the Truffle Shop in the New York Hotel. In a few short years they built a reputation for the delightful delicacies and superb quality.

Chocolate first appeared in Spain via the explorers to the New World in the early1600s. The story goes that when the King of France was given some of this new product he directed his chef to develop a dessert made from the mysterious commodity. The chef created small balls of sweetened chocolate dusted with cocoa powder. They looked exactly like the truffles from the earth and so that was the name that stuck for this new delicacy.

Truffles are potato shaped mushrooms (mycelium), a highly prized delicacy throughout southern Europe. Truffles are rooted out of the ground by trained pigs who can smell them. That is why their mascot at the Truffle Shop is a flying pig.

”The flying pig must search for and bring back that taste of heaven from its celestial origins,” Rudy said.

In the early 90s (before the Starbucks craze) Rudy and Chef DeGroot attended the San Francisco Food Show. There they tasted a frozen Jamaican coffee and came home to create their own exotic version: the Nevada City Iced Cappuccino. This full-bodied coffee drink has a perfect balance of coffee, cream and chocolate (and worth every calorie).

Another friend and partner, Menlo McFarland still sells these at the summer markets in Nevada City and Grass Valley as well as various special events and concerts.

Chef DeGroot uses only Belgium chocolate in all his creations as he feels it has the right balance of sweetness. In recent years the public's taste preference has changed more to darker chocolate from milk chocolate. As their business developed and online sales increased, Rudy took more control over the retail/web sales and Chef DeGroot produces delicacies for the shop as well as other local restaurants.

“I am continually moved by the graciousness of our customers,” said Rudy Udarbe. “They go out of their way to show such appreciation for our products and come back again and again.”

If the sweeties in your family are hoping for special treats in their Easter basket, Rudy and Bill DeGroot guarantee they have something to please. Their Easter specialties are popular gifts and are available at the Truffle Shop in the New York Hotel or online at: www.chocolategod.com. Call the shop at (530) 265-3539.

Patti Bess is a local freelance writer, cookbook author and a radio host on KVMR-FM. E-mail her with questions or for more information at pbess@exwire.com.

CHOCOLATE NIRVANA CUPCAKES

Chef DeGroot offers this recipe for a holiday treat for the whole family.

2 cups cake flour

2 thirds cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons red food coloring

6 ounces unsalted butter-at room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin baking tins with paper liners.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

Cream butter in a large bowl. Add sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and food coloring and beat until blended.

Combine buttermilk and water.

On low speed, add about one quarter of cocoa/flour mixture. Alternate with 1/3 of buttermilk mixture, then the butter sugar mixture. Scrape bowl and repeat with remaining cocoa/ flour mixture alternating with the butter mixture and remaining buttermilk. Continue mixing just until batter is blended.

Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full, about a half cup for each. Bake about 20 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter, well chilled and cut into pieces.



Combine chocolate and cream in a double boiler. Over low heat stir until melted. Add butter and stir until blended.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Beat at high speed until frosting is thick enough to spread.

Frost cupcakes and decorate, if desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until frosting has set up.

Enjoy!