Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

I recently ate one of the tastiest pieces of dark chocolate I’ve ever experienced!  Made by Aequare Fine Chocolates, their Blackberry Cobbler flavor features a thick semi-sweet ganache on the inside that is topped with a sweet, tasty layer of pure blackberry preserves and then covered with a shell of 70% Ecuadorian Chocolate.  I’m not sure which was better – the amazing scent of the bonbon or the exquisite taste!  With a single small bite, I could sense the purity of the chocolate and taste the beautiful mixture of flavors.

Single origin chocolate is made of beans exclusively from the same geographical region.  The flavor is very distinct, and in this case, very rich.  Single origin chocolate is very popular in Europe and is becoming more in demand in the United States.  All of the products available from Aequare Fine Chocolates are crafted from single origin Ecuadorian Chocolate.

The six-piece assortment that I received included five other gourmet flavors – Tahitian Vanilla, Amazon Dark Chocolate, Persian Saffron with Orange Essense, Passion Fruit Honey, Moccha, Le Citron-Meyer Lemon and Salted Caramel.  Although I loved the unexpected flavor of the salted caramel piece, the rich, fruitiness of the Blackberry Cobbler was definitely my top pick.  I was pleasantly surprised that a few small bites completely satisfied my chocolate craving, and I could hardly stop smelling the delicious aroma that emanated from the box.

For only $13.95, their 6 piece gift box offers an excellent variety of taste and flavor, and also makes a stunning presentation!

My cousin Heather collects Coca-Cola memorabilia.  She has nostalgic Coca-Cola clothing, lunchboxes, bottles, even an authentic Coca-Cola cooler where she stores – what else – Coke!  Heather is also exactly one month older than me, we grew up together and spent many summers playing Barbies, softball and Candy Store.  So when I found this delightful candy bouquet on one of my favorite gourmet websites, I ordered it right away for Heather’s birthday, even though it was still 6 months away!

Heather’s birthday was last week and she gave me a call right after the Coca-Cola train arrived – she was tickled by the symbolism behind the gift and my words on the gift card.  Quite honestly, I had forgotten that I ordered the bouquet but was glad that I did – the order was processed and shipped exactly when I requested, the gift brought back great memories of the good old days, and the collectible train will make a great addition to Heather’s collection.  I found the train filled with candy for $36 plus $8.95 shipping.

Betty Darby has proven that the “Golden Years” don’t have to be spent sitting in a rocker on her front porch!  When she was 65 years old a friend of the family got a taste of her homemade peanut brittle and convinced her to start her own business.  The business venture has become wildly successful – Betty and her husband make more than 500 pounds of peanut brittle each week, packaging and shipping it across the country.  Each batch is made entirely by hand, from the cooking to the cracking, packaging and shipping.  Betty’s favorite part of the process  has been all the friends she has made along the journey – including a number of US Troops.  Betty has shipped peanut brittle overseas a number of times to troops serving in the Armed Forces, and to show their appreciation the troops have sent her dozens of thank you letters and a flag flown overseas, a few soldiers have even visited her at her store in historic Murietta, CA.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when the Peanut Brittle Gift Basket arrived in our office, all the peanut brittle I had tried previously was rock hard and hurt my teeth.  But Betty’s Brittle was heavenly – the sweet and crunchy texture was a pleasure to eat and didn’t get stuck in my teeth or hurt when I bit into it.  The gift basket was such a hit in our office that two of my co-workers immediately ordered baskets for their family members.  The 5 lb basket includes 10 – 1/2 lb bags of Betty’s Original Brittle and sells for $80.

It’s pretty tough to go wrong with a basket of sweets when sending a gift, although we have ran into a few stinkers on our online purchasing journeys.  But I’m happy to report that the Sweet Tooth Gourmet Gift Basket is not one of them!  The basket itself is very sturdy and lightweight and can be reused by your recipient as a mail basket, fruit basket or candy basket!  The goodies inside are a step up from standard candy bars, they include such gourmet items as crepe suzettes, almond roca, pure dark chocolate and mocha caramel popcorn.  These treats, along with truffle hot cocoa and Bellagio coffee, are packaged in pretty colors and wrapped with a matching bow to complete the gourmet experience.  The basket is available for $63 plus $11.95 for ground shipping.

With kids out of school for the summer, parents can use some help finding projects to keep little hands busy!  One great solution is this crayon and candy bouquet offered by Gourmet Cookie Bouquets.  The gift includes more than 20 pieces of candy that is artfully arranged with a base made entirely of Crayola Crayons (4 – eight piece boxes).  The kids will receive a few special treats to enjoy, and will then be able to break apart the base and create some great art projects to decorate your home or office.  I know my son is filled with pride when he visits me at the office and spies one of his latest drawings hanging on my bulletin board – and I get to have a little piece of him with me every day!  The creative candy gift is available for $30 plus a mere $8.95 for UPS Ground shipping.

A great gift for soldiers returning from service or for someone traveling over the 4th of July, this patriotic gift box is packed with snack-time favorites and an inspirational book entitled “I Pledge Allegiance”.  The box retails for $50 and includes the following All-American snacks:

• Chex Mix
• Chips Ahoy Cookies
• Twizzlers
• Microwave Popcorn
• M&Ms (Plain and Peanut
• Skittles
• Starburst
• Oreos
• Cheez-Its
• Peanuts
• SweetTarts
• Cracker Jacks

The old saying from Mary Poppins still holds true, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!”  So when my girlfriend was recovering from minor surgery I sent this tasty gift to entice her to take her medicine!  She loved the personal gift card that we were able to include, and told me that the cookies were even better then the ones her mother makes!  The doctor-themed tote was sturdy and filled to the brim with:

• fourteen assorted cookies
• yogurt covered pretzels
• white chocolate “aspirin”
• chocolate truffle bar
• Dr. Feelgood snack mix
• caramel corn
• chicken soup
• tea
• puzzle book and pencil

I ordered the large size for $62 plus $12.50 shipping.  It only took 2 days to arrive and my friend was thrilled with both the presentation and the goodies inside!

These hand painted chocolate turtles have such amazing detail and were so pretty – I almost couldn’t eat them.  But once I tried the first one, it didn’t take long for the rest to disappear!  The turtle colors signify a different type of nut found inside – either cashew, walnut, pecan, almond, macadamia or pistachio – along with caramel and creamy milk chocolate.  The chocolatier who creates these masterpieces, Ghyslain Maurais, started as an architectural student and then transferred to pastry school in Quebec where hand painted chocolates became his speciality.  Along with an artistic appearance, these chocolate turtles have a divine taste.  The 4 oz. variety box contains 12 hand-painted turtles – 2 of each flavor – and sells for $22.95.

Jim Beam and Jack Daniels don’t just make whiskey, they also sell a number of tasty snack foods, flavored coffees and desserts.  A few of these items have been combined into a red gift pail – along with chips, crackers and beer nuts – to create a memorable gift for Father’s Day, a summer birthday or for no reason at all!  The Jim Beam bourbon fudge is smooth and creamy, the salsa is chunky and flavorful, and the rest of the components are just as good!  My husband and I share this pail very well – he takes the savory items and I lay claim to the sweets.  We found this gourmet gift online for $53 plus $10.95 shipping.

If you are looking for a more sophisticated marshmallow to roast around your campfire this summer, you have to try some of these Amaretto Flavored Marshmallows from Laura’s Candy!  They are hand made in small batches, and arrive light, fluffy, a bit sticky and totally delicious!  The marshmallows have a decidedly “grown up” taste with the addition of the Amaretto, and they make mouthwatering smores.  Laura has been making homemade marshmallows since 2003, and now sells in select stores from coast to coast.  She currently offers 15 different flavors – from Butterscotch to Whiskey – that will stay fresh for 8-10 weeks after receiving (even longer if frozen).  A 5 ounce gift box (as pictured) contains 8 jumbo marshmallows and sells for $6.50.