Finding just the right holiday gift for your loved one can be a serious challenge. When in doubt, PastyScoop.com staffers stick to the old adage "sweets for the sweet" (so save the Omaha steaks for that cantankerous uncle). Check out our editors' picks for dessert-related gifts to suit every personality type, from Francophile to busy baker to style hound.
Raina's Picks
Remembrance of Things Yummy Of the holy triumvirate of French delicacies that begin with the letter M—marshmallows, madeleines, and macaroons—shouldn't madeleines get a fairer share of the limelight? Proust recorded a reverie to his memory of the buttery cakes in Remembrance of Things Past, inspiring a century of food writers to chronicle their own taste-memory experiences. Proust ate only the finished cakes, dunked in a bit of tea, but the lucky recipient of Matfer's madeleine pan can reminisce about stirring the batter, the aroma of the baking cakes, and devouring them while still warm from the oven. www.lacuisineus.com, $28.50.
Sweet Life 2007 was a red-letter year for pastry chef cookbooks, but I must confess my soft spot for Desserts by the Yard. Much more than just a collection of recipes, Sherry Yard's latest volume treats us to a life of sweets—Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Custard Cones (Brooklyn girlhood); Campton Place Coffee Cake (early days in California); Deep, Dark Decadent Doughnuts (Spago Beverly Hills), to name a few. The stories behind the recipes are just as captivating, tracing the evolution of American cuisine from baked Alaska to greenmarket-driven desserts. www.ecookbooks.com, $21.51.
Sophisticated Sugar Leave gumdrops to the kids and savor confections in adult-approved flavors like Morello cherry, passion fruit, pear-lime, and blueberry cassis. Made in the French confectioner's tradition, Recchiuti's pâtes de fruits are refined little gems that pair melt-in-your-mouth texture with intensely concentrated fruit flavor. www.recchiuti.com, $22.
Some Bunny Loves Cookies For your pop-art loving friend, here's a gift that sits squarely at the intersection of high art, low art, and cookie adoration. Described by one critic as "suspiciously adorable," Cerealart's limited edition ceramic cookie jar was designed by artist Momoyo Torimitsu as a comment on contemporary Japan's pervasive obsession with cuteness. Available in lime green, mint blue, and tangerine orange, the piece will inspire friends and family to ponder the deeper issues of the day—the nature of art, the vagaries of consumer culture, and whether any cookie could ever really top chocolate chip. www.velocityartanddesign.com, $150.
DANIELLE'S PICKS
"C" is for Cupcake Kids love to bake and eat their own creations. You can help them express their culinary creativity with Cutie Cupcakes Bakers Set to make the cutest cupcake ever! The set comes with a 6-cup mini baking pan, an icing decorator with six interchangeable tips, 200 colorful paper baking cups, and four easy-to-follow recipe cards. www.amazon.com, $19.99.
Two Sides to the Story Need a gadget that is both useful and trendy? The hole on one end of Chef'n Switchit's Dual Ended Batter Spatula helps aerate and lighten batter. The smaller spatula on the other end allows for more control and finesse. Even better, thanks to its asymmetrical design, you can reach every angle of any pan, pot, or bowl. www.shopfosters.com, $11.
Bread Making Made Easy Why go store-bought when you can make your own fresh bread right from your kitchen with little fuss? Just place the ingredients in Panasonic's Automatic Bread Baker and it does everything else—mixing, kneading, and baking! You can make anything from fragrant focaccia and crusty baguettes to delicious quick breads. There's nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread in your home. www.buy.com, $112.99
Judiaann's Picks
Get Your Groove On Leave it to the cool kids at Vosges Haut-Chocolat to come up with a pairing of music and chocolate. In tribute to the contributions of African-American artists to the musical landscape we know today, the Groove Collection is a treat for the senses. Each boxed set includes a historical booklet, music CD, and a dozen chocolate truffles inspired by the delectable sounds of Motown, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and other genres of influence. www.vosgeschocolate.com, $75.
Please Your Dog with Cheese Everyone knows how much dogs love cheese, especially the owners of Portland, Oregon-based Foster & Dobbs Authentic Foods. In search of a creative way to use up leftover, but perfectly delectable, scraps of artisan cheese, the proud dog parents of two have come up with a healthy, grain-free dog biscuit suitable for four-legged gourmands. Each batch is made using a blend of fine cheeses (a fromage fort, if you will), potato flour, organic amaranth flour, eggs, olive oil, and garlic powder. Some days the flavor profile may be farmhouse cheddar and chèvre or more washed-rind, like Taleggio and Brescianella. Regardless, your doggy will be begging for more. www.fosteranddobbs.com, $4.
Seeing the Green Fairy Ever since the late nineteenth century, the lure of absinthe has seduced many an artist and thrill seeker in search of its rumored hallucinogenic effects. The green-hued, anise-flavored spirit may still be difficult to nab stateside, but Le Fée, who bottles the stuff using a centuries old recipe, has made the tease a little less intimidating by offering a chance to see the Green Fairy in their dark chocolate absinthe-infused truffles. www.lafeeabsinthe.com, about $8.
Some Real Eye Candy From the stylishly chic French/Spanish designer Paloma Picasso comes her equally stylish Sugar Stacks jewelry collection for Tiffany & Co. Reminiscent of glistening lemon drops, butterscotch candies, and fruity Jolly Ranchers, these vibrant gemstone and 18k gold rings are made for stacking but look equally impressive as stand-alone rocks. Choose from a selection that includes such vivid hues as amethyst, aquamarine, and peridot in three distinct sizes to fit almost any budget. www.tiffany.com, $950-$5,500.
Sampurna's Picks
It's Chestnut Time Forget about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Forego convention this holiday season and present your loved ones with chestnuts luxuriously soused in cognac. Pour over cake, ice cream, and cheese and ordinary treats morph into something seductively extraordinary. Everything about this gift will ooze panache, down to its classic dark-wood lid and the elegant gift box that it'll arrive in. www.igourmet.com, $38.99.
Spread the Word Start your shopping off right with something for yourself—and the needy animals of New York City. These commemorative greeting cards feature images of whimsical animal-themed gingerbread houses created by pastry chefs for Gingerbread Homes for Animals, PastryScoop.com and Rational Animal's annual humane education event. With a sweet message inside and humane information on the back, your holiday cards will prompt cheer—and goodwill—in all who receive them. A portion of the funds raised from card sales go to the Picasso Veterinary Fund, an organization that provides lifesaving care for homeless animals with medical emergencies in New York City. www.gingerbreadhomesforanimals.org, $16.
Bigger Really Is Better Whoever said good things come in small packages obviously hasn't used the Super Duper Cupcake Cake Pan. Cupcakes move into the big league with the aid of this unique pan. Though usually designed for individual servings, this cupcake will break the mold in its ability to be enjoyed by an entire crowd. Your finished cake will measure 7 1/4 inches in diameter and 7 1/2 inches tall, putting a whole new spin on having your cake and eating it, too! www.shopbakersnook.com, $27.99.
Hungry for Knowledge Whether budding cooks or seasoned pros, culinary artists everywhere can explore the craft of French fare with The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine. Transcending other cookbooks, this reference conquers the 250 core techniques taught in the prestigious six-month course at The French Culinary Institute in New York City. Detailed definitions, recipes, and accompanying illustrations will give readers the feel of having a personal chef-instructor at the ready. By the time the new year rolls around, cooks will be well versed in the (culinary) classics. www.hnabooks.com, $75.
