The team at @Homebakerssingapore keeps our eyes (and mouth!) open to seek out up and coming home bakers. Recently, we had the privilege to try @janea.sg’s dark chocolate truffles. 
One of the very few home-based chocolate makers in Singapore, Jane was brave enough to embark on an endeavour that has borne the fruits of her labour of love. Often thought to be impossible, Jane has not only found a way to make chocolate truffles; but to also make them look and taste good too. 

We were struck by her delicately bespoke packaging, making it a perfect gift for any occasion. Each truffle was like a snowflake: characteristic swirls, peaks and troughs that set each and every chocolate truffle apart from another. 
Their smooth and matte textures surprised our tongues delightfully. Powdered with cocoa powder made in the heavens, they look like nuggets of dark gold that had descended from the chocolate gods themselves. The real treat, however, was tasting them. With the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, we immediately felt Jane’s curation of only premium ingredients. 

 We were inspired by the pride that Jane took in her work and wanted to find out more about this fabulous baker.

Tell us about yourself!
I am a mummy to a cheeky 4-year-old who loves to help out around the house!
Growing up, chocolates were always my go-to whenever I had a craving for sweet treats. They were my best companions through bus rides, lectures and late nights. I had always been fascinated by how chocolate bars were made. On my first trip to Australia, I visited the Margaret River Chocolate Factory. I recall being greatly excited and from then onwards, I had this notion of making my own chocolate one day.
I was fortunate enough to travel the world and on a holiday in Italy, I stepped into the world of artisanal gourmet Italian chocolate. Once again, I was fuelled by the thought of making my own chocolate. However, it was only recently that I decided to go for it after some persuasion and encouragement from a good friend!

What sets your products apart from something we can purchase off the shelf (and why do they taste so good?!)?
Well, my chocolate truffles are handmade with premium and fresh ingredients (thus the short shelf life). Every chocolate truffle is made and QCed by myself. I guess that is what sets them apart from off-the-shelf products.

As a relatively new face on the scene, what issues do you face / have you faced?
So far I have gotten really good reviews from friends and family. The only issue I suppose would be on how to market to more people outside my circle of friends.
How has the pandemic affected you and your family?
We are good actually. Other than the state-wide measures that we have to observe, we try to live as normally as we can.
How do you achieve balance as young parents and also having full-time jobs?
I believe there is always a time for everything. After-work hours and weekends are mostly protected time for the family to bond and to do stuff together. It takes effort but there will always be a solution as long as there is teamwork. It helps to have a sensible child too.

We hope that Jane’s story will inspire others to take up the challenge of venturing into a home business. Home baking with a young child at home may also be an out-of-the-box method of conferring critical values such as teamwork to the young mind.
Be sure to follow us to read profiles on other home bakers too! Find out how to better support home bakers by clicking here.

Article by @DentistOfSingapore