LOGAN SQUARE — Katherine Anne Duncan of Katherine Anne Confections has teamed up with Scofflaw bartender Danny Shapiro to make a truffle inspired by Shapiro's favorite cocktail, the Twentieth Century.
Duncan has been collaborating with chefs across the city for monthly truffle creations since she opened her shop last fall.
"I just wanted something cool and unusual to do," she said.
Past collaborators include Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions, Barn and Company pitmaster Gary Wiviott and Sable's head chef, Heather Terhune.
"So we've been all over the roadmap," she said, adding, "This is actually the first bartender we've worked with."
For Shapiro's part, working with Duncan to create a truffle was a no-brainer, he said.
"I'm a big fan of her work, naturally, and she reached out and mentioned a desire to collaborate," he said. "I threw out the idea of basing it around my favorite cocktail, which is a Twentieth Century."
The cocktail is made with gin, Lillet Blanc (a French apertif wine), fresh lemon juice and creme de cacao, making it a seemingly perfect candidate for a truffle.
"The acidity of the lemon works really nicely with the bitterness of the dark chocolate," Duncan said. "Gin works really well with chocolate, too."
The result is not like a liqueur-filled chocolate, but Duncan said "you can definitely taste the gin."
The special Twentieth Century truffles will be sold at Katherine Anne Confections, 2745 W. Artmitage Ave., through the end of the month.
