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Arriving during the holidays at a friend’s house or family gathering armed with delicious food is a sure way to get on the nice list. Here are nine edible gifts, including craveable cookies and a tangy selection of California cheeses, that will wow any crowd.
Bonilla a la Vista potato chips
These “ultra-crispy” potato chips from Spain might just be the “best in the world,” said Food & Wine. There are three ingredients — potatoes, olive oil and sea salt — and while “perfectly delicious by the handful,” the chips are even better when “loaded with luxury extras” like caviar and crème fraîche. Keep the tin, and use it for kitchen storage. ($40, Citarella)
Breads Bakery chocolate babka
It’s easy to see why this is considered one of the best babkas in New York City. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and heavy on the Nutella and dark chocolate, each bite is its own adventure. If you’re local, pick your babka up at one of the five Breads Bakery locations in Manhattan or the sole Brooklyn outpost. If not, you’re still in luck — you can purchase a three-pack from Goldbelly for home delivery. ($18, Breads Bakery. $55, Goldbelly)
Clif Family Just Add Cheese set
All of the accoutrements necessary for a delicious charcuterie board are in this box. With the exception of Rustic Bakery flatbread crackers, every item includes ingredients grown on the Clif Family Farm. The organic Meyer lemon marmalade, for example, contains lemon handpicked at peak ripeness and is made in a small batch in the farm’s kitchen. Two nut blends (rosemary almonds and pistachios and hot honey cashews and peanuts), rosé wine jelly, solar-grown hot honey, hibiscus honey and Napa Noir chocolate round out the offerings. ($75, Clif Family)
Fortnum & Mason The Afternoon Tea Basket
Fancify their afternoon tea game with this reusable wicker basket full of goodies from the iconic British retailer Fortnum & Mason. The teas — Royal Blend, Earl Grey Classic and Ceylon Orange Pekoe — come in lovely metallic turquoise tin that match the striped mug. There’s also a strainer and three types of preserves: raspberry, strawberry and wild blueberry. Add scones and finger sandwiches for the full experience. ($180, Williams Sonoma)
Levain Bakery Holiday Tin Cookie Gift Set
Credit where it’s due: Levain has “cracked the code to making near-perfect cookies,” said Bon Appétit. The bakery’s holiday gift set includes four seasonal dark chocolate peppermint cookies, plus classic favorites like chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate peanut butter chip, oatmeal raisin and the “complex and delightful” dark chocolate chocolate chip. The substantial cookies (each one weighs six ounces) are packed in a limited edition tin featuring whimsy illustrations of nutcrackers, snowflakes, candy and dreidels. ($69, Levain Bakery)
Licorice.com Australian Assortment Gift Box
Anyone with a “sweet tooth” will find themselves reaching for one of the three licorice tubes in this set, said Oprah Daily. Australian licorice is known for its “soft, chewy texture” and deeper flavor, and this assortment includes Australian Red, Australian Black and Australian Mix, a tart blend of green apples, raspberry and mango. Each container holds one pound of licorice, so there’s enough to go around during a party or late-night snack session. ($49, Licorice.com)
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company Taste of Point Reyes Gift Pack
For decades, this farm has been supplying the San Francisco Bay Area with extraordinary cheeses, including its famous Original Blue. This selection allows outsiders to try four cheeses — Original Blue, Toma, Bay Blue and Gouda — plus honey and candied pecans (the set also comes with a cheese knife and reusable cooler). You can keep the experience strictly cheesy, or add a Journeyman Meat Co. Sonoma salami for a complete charcuterie moment. (Starting at $90, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company)
Salt & Straw Almond Brittle Cake
This five-layer confection is a sweet-and-salty showstopper. It’s an ode to the almond brittle made by Salt & Straw cofounders Kim and Tyler Malek’s grandmother and includes an almond-flour brown butter cake base, Double Fold Vanilla ice cream, house-made salted chocolate ganache and a crumble of saltine Florentine cookies drizzled with chocolate. The almond brittle and cookies add a delightful crunch to the smooth ice cream and spongey cake, and at nearly six pounds, this dessert can serve (and impress) a crowd. ($79, Salt & Straw)
Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast Gift basket
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they say, and this jam-packed basket has you covered. The tin container is filled to the brim with morning staples, including blueberry muffin, crepe and pancake and waffle mixes; golden maple syrup; and wild Maine blueberry jam and strawberry jam. There’s also a colorful berry print tea towel to use while cooking and cleaning up. ($95, Stonewall Kitchen)
Let them eat babka (and cheese and licorice)
