Du Jour: Steve Lawrence, chocolatier

After a summer hiatus, chocolate maker Steven Lawrence returned to the Main Street Market last week to sell his hand-dipped confections.  Lawrence, a transplant to Baton Rouge from the Northwest, says southern cocktail culture has influenced a number of his flavors since his move to Louisiana two years ago, including his take on the Sazerac, dark chocolate with rye whiskey, absinthe, bitters and lemon. “It went over really, really well,” says Lawrence.  Mint Julep will make an appearance soon, assisted by fresh mint’s long growing season. And he’ll have Milk Punch, named for the holiday beverage Lawrence had never heard of before moving to Baton Rouge. It features bourbon, nutmeg and milk chocolate dipped in Lawrence’s standard formula of tempered bittersweet French chocolate. Find out what else this local chocolatier has simmering in this week’s Du Jour by clicking here. To read previous Du Jour features on local chefs and other culinary experts, click here.