The Secret to Sweet Chocolate?
By Clementina Verge
Hidden away on a rural road in Goshen, Thorncrest Farm is a prime destination for chocolate lovers.
The Thorn family—Kimberly, Clint, and sons Garret and Lyndon—steward a meticulously maintained barn that provides a comfortable, relaxing environment (the secret to sweet milk) for their dairy herd. Open doors allow cross-breezes and encourage greetings from visitors.
“The most important thing we do here is care for our cows,” explains Kimberly. “We are farmers who happen to make chocolate and hay, but these ladies give the milk and cream, and our main goal is to treat them and the land right.”
Adjacent to the barn, a small shop grand in charm and creativity showcases bespoke selections handmade by Kimberly. Famous for its vanilla milk and repeatedly voted “Best Chocolates in Connecticut,” Thorncrest exceeds 170 varieties throughout the year, rotated based on season and the cows milking at any given time; each bovine creates uniquely flavored milk geared for specific chocolates.
Crafted in small batches, confectionaries exclude preservatives or unpronounceable ingredients. Fair Trade cocoa nibs, pasteurized milk, sweet cream, and butter are complemented by nuts, fruits, and spices that create unique and complex textures and flavors.
Whether it incorporates fresh mint from the Thorncrest gardens, citrus peels, ginger, hazelnuts, or organic almonds, every bar and truffle is a labor of love, sure to leave a decadent memory.—milkhousechocolates.net