Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

A simple combination of cake and cream, the whoopie pie is a family favorite of many – including my family.  Wicked Whoopies in Freeport, Maine has turned this childhood sweet treat into a fun and lucrative business venture.  Their website invites visitors to stop by one of their bakeries and visit, so when my sister and her husband were in Maine last fall – that’s just what they did!  They were able to watch the whoopie pies being created – from mixing the cake batter, to creating the creamy filling, to the assembly of these delicious sweets!  They were even able to sample some new flavor combinations – and of course they left with a case of whoopie pies to bring home to their kids!  My sister’s favorite flavor was the chocolate and mint – which has a chocolate shell and a super light, fluffy mint filling.  One dozen of these mint wonders is available for $24.

For those of you who like to experiment with flavors, Wicked Whoopies offers 15 combinations – including the classic chocolate with vanilla cream, chocolate chip, maple, pumpkin and banana cream.  Try a variety pack if you can’t decide on one flavor!

For a true candy lover, instead of birthday cake this year get them a box full of candy bars!  This fun gift item contains a dozen full size chocolate bars, including the some of my favorites (let’s face it, they are ALL my favorites).  From Snickers to Reeces Peanut Butter Cups to Twix, the cheerful design is sure to delight your birthday boy or girl this year!  Send it to them for $40 plus $9.95 shipping.

Just north of Juneau, in a tiny little village on the Chilkoot Inlet, is a hidden gourmet syrup company that ships their tasty products worldwide.  The Birch Boy Gourmet Alaskan Birch Syrup Company harvests native fruits and berries, then turns them into unique and flavorful syrups.  One such tasty combination is their Cranberry Cherry syrup, with just a hint of the cranberry tartness and a smooth, cherry finish.  For her birthday last month, my grandma received a bottle of this syrup from her brother that lives in Juneau, and she is looking forward to trying another flavor on her birthday next year!  An 8 ounce bottle of this syrup sells for $10.00.

Plan a romantic week-end getaway and tuck this gift tote inside your luggage, to be opened at just the right time!  This neat leather-trimmed tote is actually an insulated carrier that comes with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and two slender flutes.  The champagne is described as “a perfect example of harmony between between delicacy and power”.  I describe it as simply divine!  The light and crisp flavor makes it one of my favorites, which is why this tote is on my birthday list this year!  The unique gift set is available for $97, but can only be shipped to select states because of interstate shipping regulations.

If you are ready for the smells and tastes of summer barbeque, but it’s not quite time to dig out the grill, the order up this delightful combination of 3 smoked and barbequed meats, sure to tempt your senses!  Joe’s Barbeque Company is offering a selection of pork ribs, smoked sausage and a smoked brisket – all fully cooked and available for immediate shipping.  They will also pack in a complimentary jar of Joe’s Barbeque Sauce to add your own amount of flavor.

This combination provides enough food to feed 4 comfortably, and if you place your order in February you will receive free shipping (check out the link to Joe’s daily specials).  The combo sells for $109.95.

If you listen closely, you may be able to hear the faint sounds of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”.  With baseball Spring Training starting, spring won’t be far away, and then baseball season will be in full swing!  My son can’t wait for baseball to start and I am excited too because that means warm weather has arrived.  One way to encourage baseball season is to send this candy arrangement inside a baseball-shaped ceramic planter.  The candy ranges from chocolate to hard candy – more than 20 different sizes and flavors.  The themed gift is available for $43 from Cookie Gift Baskets.

As an appetizer, Stone Crab is hard to beat!  The succulent meat is some of the easiest shellfish to get out of the shell, and the taste goes very when paired with mustard dip.  The stone crab available at beststonecrab.com are harvested from the crab beds of Florida and the Bahamas, then cooked and flash frozen to preserve freshness.  A 3 lb gift box is available for $175 and comes with cocktail forks, a mallet and a jar of Papa Houghie’s Homemade Mustard Sauce.

The company I used to work for sent our their yearly appreciation gifts in February.  By that time, the hubbub of the holidays had gone by and their customers were more apt to remember a gift that came at a different time then one that may have gotten “lost in the shuffle”.  One year they sent out these lead crystal bowls with gourmet cashews, which was perfect for their customers to display in a reception area or break room.  The gift itself arrived in a set of stylish gold gift boxes wrapped with a burgundy ribbon that displayed our company logo.  Even though the gift looks very expensive, the price is a very reasonable $32.  You can choose from 4 ribbon colors, but the minimum order quantity is 12 pieces.  However, there are no hidden set-up fees so that is a bonus!

My husband loves hot, spicy foods – his favorite night out includes a bucket of Blazin’ Hot wings and a pitcher of beer!  He also likes to experiment with different spices and flavors – our spice cabinet probably has close to 100 types of salts, rubs, seasonings and spices.  Which is why I thought of him immediately when I saw this Hot Sauce Basket.  The basket is filled with 5 brands of hot sauce, with heat levels ranging from 5 to 10 stars.  The basket will be a great gift idea for his birthday or Father’s Day – especially since we love grilling and my meal won’t have to include the extreme heat!  It’s currently on sale for $41.99 and includes:

• Lottie’s Barbados Hot Sauce
• Jack Daniels Jalapeno Hot Sauce
• Pain is Good #218 Hot Sauce
• Magma Hot Sauce
• Dave’s Insanity Sauce

In this economy, it is a very special treat when someone is able to afford a new house.  One way to make a house a home is with the presence of home-baked treats.  However, with the hustle and bustle of moving there is not always time to baked fresh goodies – which is where this gift tote comes in!  These cookies taste just like homemade, and are perfect to welcome new neighbors, to send well wishes to a friend, or to thank those who helped you move.  A half-dozen of these jumbo gourmet cookies is available for $40 – and you can choose which type of cookies will be included.