Page 26 - North Haven Magazine Issue 16 Holiday 2020

Debbie Volain

by Marisa Hexter

oliday cheer comes in many forms; it can be decorating your tree, singing
Hholiday-respective songs, or cooking traditional family meals. The holiday
season brings out a specific passion for Debbie Volain; making extraordinary
houses made of chocolate. Since her highschool years, Debbie found making
and designing these houses a great way to honor the holidays and seasons
which many of us celebrate. From Halloween to Hannukah, Volain produces
edible works of art that many North Haven residents admire. Olivia, Debbie & Aubrey

Graduating in 1976 from Hamden others when they are in need and some
High, Debbie first grew up in Walling- of her best advice to anyone who wants
ford and then Farmington before mov- to create or design is to “Take it one
ing to Hamden. Originally wanting to step at a time so it’s not overwhelming.
be a nurse, she found it very hard to Little steps can lead to big things.”
work with sick children when she began Debbie moved to North Haven 30 years
schooling. “I give nurses and doctors a ago when she met and married her
lot of credit, it is a very hard profession.” husband and started their family here.
She eventually studied Civil Engineer- “The people, the community” are her
ing at New Haven Technical College favorites of North Haven. She also loves
to pursue her career. Hamden High is how the holiday season brings not just
where she was first introduced to choc- family and community together, but
olate houses. “I had taken a cake deco- for the town too. Volain is very active
rating class when I was in high school in set designing for theatre, and most
and the instructor had one on display. and place pieces together with melted importantly she plays a very active role
I decided to make one.” After making chocolate.” Debbie states the design is as a grandmother, “the best thing in the
her first chocolate house, she realized different depending on the occasion world.” She and her husband also have
how much easier it was to make than and the people she is making it for or an ambition to travel to all fifty states;
a gingerbread house. She showed her with. The final step is decorating. “Now so far they have been to 32. “When this
grandmother who made Christmas vil- my dining room table and pool table pandemic is over we will finish.”
lages out of gingerbread every year, this are covered every winter in dozens and
leading to Debbie and her grandmother dozens of tiny bowls of different kinds
making chocolate houses instead. of candy to put on the houses.”
The process has its past of “trial and
error on how to put them together...I
figured out that it is easier to decorate
the pieces and then put them together.”
“Patience,” Debbie says is very import-
ant to have when making the houses,
but also adds, “I love how you can get
ideas or inspiration from unexpected
places.” She has different molds in styles
of houses ranging “from ranches to co-
lonials to capes.” While at first Debbie Debbie Volain has produced beautiful
was making houses for Christmas time, works of art in the form of chocolate
over the years she evolved her designs houses, decorated and dedicated to the
to Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, time of year where families, friends,
and seasonal winter houses too. and communities come together to
share and spend time with one anoth-
The process of making these houses has Debbie’s favorite part of making these er. Whether one celebrates Christmas
multiple steps. “First I start with a dou- chocolate houses is how relaxing it is or Hanukkah, or simply loves the cold,
ble broiler and melt the chocolate, then for her to do. She says she has always winter months, Debbie creates min-
I chill the chocolate in the mold until it been inspired by children when making iature edible versions of what we love
hardens, then I take it out of the molds her designs. She always strives to help most.

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North Haven Magazine - Holiday Issue 2020