There’s nothing like the cold creaminess of an ice cream cone to satisfy you on a summer’s day. Which is why when Toronto’s temps recently reached 40 degrees, we knew we had to make a stop at Delight Chocolate for a cool scoop of happiness.

Jeff Brown and Jennifer Rashleigh started Delight Chocolate in 2004, initially selling their chocolates wholesale. When they opened their first store in T.O.’s Junction neighbourhood, the plan was to maintain a mostly wholesale business, and to keep the retail side small. But the retail side of the business was soon booming, and they’ve recently opened a second Toronto location. A true family business, their two daughters help out by sampling flavours and spending time in the shop.

Jennifer, a former pastry chef, is the chocolate-maker in the family. And Jeff, who also has a food services background, is the icecream guy. The ice cream is made in-house, and starts with an all-natural custard base (egg yolk blended with sugar, milk and cream) which is then flavoured with local, organic, fair trade, sustainable, or LFP certified ingredients. Jeff makes ice cream fresh daily, and uses only in-season fruit and other flavourings. So don’t expect to go in May and get strawberry ice cream. Each batch takes from two to three hours to make, and you can definitely taste the fresh difference. In fact, the fruit is so fresh it was likely on the vine only a few days before it ended up in your homemade waffle cone.

Delight’s seven to nine ice cream flavours are rotated based on season and availability, but a few customer favourites are always on hand. Like the Vanilla, Dairy-free Chocolate (made with coconut milk), and Quebec Blue Cheese varieties. Yes, we said blue cheese ice cream. Which, mixed with a vanilla base, was surprisingly tasty. Other favourites included Mint Chip, made with fresh grown mint, Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, which is as decadent as it sounds, and our absolute fave, Ginger Lemon Balm.

And despite the fact we only went in to chat and taste test, we left with two tubs of the sweet stuff (in biodegradable containers, of course), and a Ginger Lemon Balm cone for the ride home. It’s safe to say Delight Chocolates hasn’t seen the last of us yet…

Delight Chocolate: www.delightchocolate.ca
3040 Dundas Street West & 805 Queen Street West, Toronto
416.760.9995