Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

When my girlfriend was married 11 years ago, her aunt made authentic German kuchen for each reception table.  A traditional German dessert, kuchen is a big part of my friend’s heritage and she wanted to introduce guests at her wedding to the delicious pastry.  Kuchen is made in a pie pan, but that is where the similarity to pie ends.  The outside is more like a cake than a crust, and the filling is a sweet and creamy custard.  Kuchen can be made with plain custard, or it can be flavored with virtually endless combinations of fruit and/or spices.

During my online kuchen search (since I haven’t been able to reproduce the recipe I was given with much success), I discovered that kuchen can also be found in nearly every grocery store in Chile.  It seems that when German settlers introduced the dessert to their new Chilean neighbors, they fell in love with the dish and have now made it a staple in their country.

For a sweet German kuchen experience, try the gourmet desserts offered by Lapp’s Kuchen.  Located in Hebron, North Dakota, the Lapp’s have been perfecting their recipe for years - much to the delight of German-Americans nationwide.  Try a case of 6 - available in more than 30 flavors - for $25 plus shipping.

Made from scratch, flash frozen and shipped to your door, Heritage Pies feature a homemade apple pie that appears to have magical qualities - it disappeared less than 24 hours after I received it!

Each mouthwatering apple pie is hand made - using 12-14 apples sliced inside a rich, buttery crust.  Weighing more than 5 lbs, this pie pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, a steaming cup of coffee or an ice cold glass of milk!  Heritage Pies will ship this gourmet treat to you for $34.95 (plus shipping).  If your house is like mine, the delicious aroma will probably last longer than the pie itself!

Every time I drive to town, I go past 2 pumpkin stands filled with this year’s harvest.  The pumpkins immediately get me thinking of pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars and pumpkin spice muffins - yummy!  Another great pumpkin dessert is this delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake from Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets.  With a gingerbread crust and 4 pounds of rich creamy goodness, order this for your next dinner party and then take credit for making it yourself! This size dessert would easily feed 10-12 guests, with even a bit leftover for your midnight snack.

Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets offers this cheesecake (plus other fall flavors) for $47 plus overnight shipping to ensure freshness.

Even though I have no Greek heritage, Baklava is one of my favorite indulgences.  The Baklava and other Mediterranean Pastries included in this dessert tray is by far some of the best I have had.  With 2.5 lbs of signature Mediterranean sweets, All About Gifts & Baskets has outdone themselves!  Included in the dessert tray is Walnut Baklava, Mini Roses, Birds Nests and a few other signature pastries made from 100% natural ingredients.  The silver window box and matching bow are pretty enough to send this gift for any special occasion!  The dessert tray is priced at $50 and can be shipped via overnight air ($29.95) during the warmer months.

If you are lucky enough to live in Santa Fe, then you may have already experienced Tara’s Organic Ice Cream.  If you live somewhere else, you can now experience the same delicious ice cream that has made Tara Esperanza somewhat of a local legend!  With her all organic ingredients and compostable serving and packaging products, Tara has quickly become both a friend to the environment and to ice cream lovers nationwide.  Tara has taken ice cream to a unique flavor level with specialities like Sweet Corn, Lavender or White Pepper Chocolate Chip.  With more than 60 flavors available, it may be difficult to pick just 8.  But if you can narrow down your choices, order 8 pints delivered to your doorstep for $180 (including air shipping).

Crepini Cafe starts with a sour cherry, adds a delicate sweetener, and creates a delicious filling that is rolled up in handmade, all natural gourmet crepes. Once the crepes are created, they are flash frozen to preserve freshness and rushed to your doorstep to guarantee a heavenly dessert experience! At just 50 calories apiece, these crepes will not ruin your diet, and at $6.99 for a box of 4, they will not break your pocketbook either! Available with overnight or 2-day shipping, Sour Cherry Crepes are a perfect dessert to compliment your seafood dinner. They also make a great Sunday Brunch item.

One of my good friends sent me these one dozen size Happy Birthday Brownies from the Fairytale Brownie company and let’s just say the chocoholic in me has been craving them ever since. The brown gift box is wrapped with a removable Happy Birthday label and comes filled with your choice of 12, 18 and even 36 brownie assortment. Other birthday packages with bears, balloons and candles are also available. The 12 brownies only version costs $37.95 plus shipping. Add-ons such as chocolate sauce and coffee are available during the checkout process too.

You can select from 14 different brownie flavors such as toffee crunch, mint chocolate, chocolate chip, raspberry swirl and more. They even have sugar free brownies for those with special dietary needs. Best of all, these delectable brownies are free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, perservatives and artificial colors plus they are certified Kosher.