Bakeries, restaurants and chocolatiers are encouraging you to leave the dessert creation to them during this unusual holiday season. Many ship nationwide, some require in-store pick-up, and others will deliver to your home.
Sugar Plum’s
Decidedly different, Sugar Plum’s Breakable Chocolate Christmas Wreath Gift Set (complete with mallet) is sure to bring a smile and maybe a surge of passion. This wreath has nothing to do with pine needles; it’s 12 ounces of decadent milk chocolate carefully molded into a gorgeous wreath shape as imagined by these Pennsylvania chocolatiers. Designed for sharing, the wreath breaks into specifically engineered pieces. Depending on the energy of your bubble, you may want to order several of these.
andSons
If there are true chocoholics in your household, you’ll be happy that second-generation LA chocolatier andSons ships everywhere. Kriss Harvey knows her stuff. She was formerly executive pastry chef for the inventive The Bazaar by José Andrés. Joy is the name of the game with andSons’ Holiday Joy Chocolate Boxes. Filled with hand-crafted bonbons, the box is seasonal all the way with an assortment of Eggnog, Spiced cinnamon caramel, Fresh Mint & Berry, and Marzipan & Saffron goodies along with signatures such as Speculoos Cookie, Pop Rock Praline, Passionfruit Caramel and 64% Dark Madagascar. The box itself is a keepsake, designed by pop artist Angela Chrusciaki Blehm. Supersize your dessert box with a Holiday Joy Gift Collection, adding holiday delights such as Eggnog Snowmen, Chocolate-coated Nuts and Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cranberries.
La Monarca Bakery
La Monarca Bakery has been a staple in Los Angeles for almost 15 years. Started by two Stanford graduates who grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, La Monarca brings the sweet flavors of Mexico anywhere in the world. For the holidays, order their scratch-made orejitas, wedding cookies and cinnamon cookies, all made without trans fats or preservatives.
BakeMeAWish
Have you totally forgotten to order dessert (or just don’t feel like baking)? No worries – there’s BakeMeAWish.com to the rescue. This NYC gourmet company guarantees overnight delivery of a toothsome variety of holiday desserts that are as festive as they are delicious. You can order jumbo and mini holiday cupcakes, the playful and adorable Santa’s Bag filled with holiday cookies and chocolates, a tin of Candy Cane or Snowman cookies (also adorable) or a sinful Chocolate Peppermint Bundt cake. Can’t decide? Order a tower of fruit and sweets to combine with a mix of cookies and cakes. You’ll also be doing a good deed — 5% of all purchases will be set aside to benefit small businesses affected by COVID through the Bake Me A Wish! Business Empowerment Fund.
Seven Sisters Scones
From artisanal bakery Seven Sisters Scones, you can order a selection of savory and sweet scones in creative flavors like Fig and Goat Cheese and the holiday-spirited Strawberry Champagne. Started by Hala Yassine, one of seven sisters (with two brothers), the Georgia bakery spices it up for the holidays with “naughty” and “nice” boxes. The boozy, “naughty” assortment has a dozen mini or large scones in Eggnog, Chocolate Kahlúa, Pomegranate Martini and Orange Mimosa flavors. The “nice” box veers to the classic with twelve Coffee Cake, Maple Pumpkin, Cranberry Orange, and Gingerbread versions.
Bread Basket
Bread Basket has curated seven sweets and bread baskets for the holidays. Mixing craft breads, brioche buns, cookies, holiday loaf cakes and other treats, baskets include the best of NYC artisan bakeries Pain d’Avignon, Padoca Bakery, Grandaisy Bakery, Amy’s Bread, Orwashers, Eli’s Bread, New Yorker Bagel and more. Think orange olive cake with a seeded sourdough bread, or Black & White cookies with “everything bagel” seeded twists, for example. Since Europe is out of reach this year, the European Basket fills in with Roman pizza Bianca, a classic baguette, Swiss Health breakfast bread and Swedish butter cookies.
Cotton Blues Cheesecakes
Move over, New York, you’ve got serious competition. Cotton Blues Cheesecakes hail from Mississippi and are as droolworthy as they come. These handcrafted cakes, created from an original recipe by Executive Pasty Chef Shaun Davis at Cotton Blues restaurant in Hattiesburg, call themselves “Mississippi Made-New York Approved.” As a New Yorker who loves cheesecake, I agree. Their strawberry cheesecake is a real knockout.
Piedaho Pie
Paris-trained baker Rebecca Bloom’s Piedaho Pies are handmade as well but this time at a family-owned bakery in Hailey, Idaho. Local ingredients are finessed to create seasonal specialties like Cherry Bourbon Crumb, Salted Caramel Apple, Ginger Pear and Chai Apple pies. You’ll likely be craving more than one pie but that’s not a problem –you can sign up for Piedaho’s Pie Club to be treated again and again. Pre-baked and flash-frozen in a vacuum-sealed pouch, these pies spark conversation and comfort.
Daddy Ray’s Famous Gingerbread
A favorite since 1983, shipping from Fort Worth, Texas, Daddy Ray’s Famous Gingerbread Bundt cakes are a thing of beauty. Lovingly baked and decorated by three generations of the Elledge family, the cakes are not only moist and delicious with a perfect balance of ginger and spice, they also add a festive touch to any gathering. You can order gingerly, pun intended, with a small cake, but you’ll probably regret not having ordered the larger version. Plan ahead to freeze some for after the holidays.
Paris Baguette
At Paris Baguette whimsical decorations like snowflakes, Santa Claus, polar bears, snowmen and Christmas Bears find their way onto Santa’s Chimney Chocolate Chiffon Cake , Rudolph the Red-Nosed Chocolate Cake, Frosty’s Chocolate Chalet Cake and the Stargazing Santa Chocolate Cake. Capturing memories of beautiful snowfalls, the Merry Berry Choco Crunch Cake is a winner with soft-cream snow drifts and berries on top.
Sully & Vanilla
Sully & Vanilla, a NYC-based women-owned bakery, has cornered the market on fun holiday treats. How can you not be obsessed with Santa hat flamingo cookies or Red and Greens, a holiday take on traditional NYC Black and White cookies? Customizing cake pops, cake cones and decorated cakes is the bakery’s M.O.
FLOUR SHOP
FLOUR SHOP is the creative playground for cake mastermind Amirah Kassem. With color and whimsy as her inspiration, Kassem mixes rainbows, glitter and unicorns for cake magic. At FLOUR SHOP, you’ll find glitter counters showcasing the most popular treats including cakeballs and the six-layer explosion cake. Be sure to look around the website for some holiday cheer.
Milk Bar
Chef Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar puts a peppermint spin on holiday desserts. If you love peppermint bark, you’ll love Milk Bar’s Peppermint Bark Cake with layers of crunchy cocoa crumbs, chocolate fudge, peppermint frosting and crushed candy cane bits. The same decadence is available in bite-sized Peppermint Bark Truffles rolled in red and chocolate sprinkles and minty sand. Peppermint Pretzel Snaps are a sweet-and-savory combination of pretzels, peppermint, caramel and chocolate atop a chocolate wafer, dipped in white chocolate peppermint bark. Pick-up and on-demand delivery in five cities or shipping nationwide.
Baked by Melissa
Cupcake lovers will thank Melissa instead of Santa for the Baked by Melissa collections featuring bite-sized cupcakes with festive flavors like Chocolate Babka, Jelly Doughnut, Caramel Hot Cocoa, Candy Cane and Cookie Blizzard. Gluten-free assortments, too. Pick- up in multiple locations and nationwide shipping.
Angelina
Renowned Paris tearoom and pastry house, Angelina, brings the taste of the century-old patisserie to its first US location in Manhattan. With takeout and delivery of its iconic hot chocolate, powdered or beautifully bottled for transport, and a special Bûche de Noël edition of their Mont Blanc pastry, Angelina gives you another way to bring Europe home this season. You can pretend you’re dining next to Coco Chanel and Marcel Proust, two of Angelina’s famous patrons, while enjoying sweets like caramels, jams and chocolates.
L’Avenue at Saks
Another Paris sensation, L’Avenue at Saks is the go-to for elaborate desserts by legendary Pierre Herme. If you’ve been to Paris, you’ve likely tried his famous macarons that come in a glorious rainbow of colors and tastes. You can go a step further by ordering L’Avenue’s famous Ispahan with a rose macaron biscuit base and rose petal cream, raspberries and lychees; or the Tarte Orpheo made with shortbread pastry, dark chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnuts. Available in-store or with delivery via Caviar.
Jean-Georges
Two Jean-Georges’ restaurants offer pick-up or in-city delivery of their most elaborate desserts. Order the cute-as-a-button Chef Karen’s Cookie Box, an assortment of gingerbread cookies, chocolate caramel brownies, pecan puffs and brown-butter chocolate chip cookies from ABC Kitchen. Jean-Georges’ eponymous restaurant has the only-at-Christmas Bûche de Noël decked out with dried cranberries, Sicilian pistachios and orange confit in organic bourbon vanilla cream, all set inside a dark chocolate mousse and devil’s food cake. For New Year’s, the restaurant’s passionfruit almond cake is paired with a half bottle of Billecart Salmon Brut Rose for a decadent finish to any meal.
Pierre’s
If you happen to be on Long Island, Pierre’s in Bridgehampton offers a sinful array of Bûche de Noël for Christmas. Offered in two sizes, you can choose chocolate made with chocolate mousse and layers of chocolate almond dacquoise, milk chocolate with crunchy French meringue coated with a milk chocolate glaze, or the very French Vosgienne which adds fresh raspberries and whipped cream to layers of chocolate sponge cake. Specifically created to capture the holiday season, the chestnut Bûche de Noël has chestnut and vanilla rum mousseline, layers of ladyfinger sponge cake and a dark chocolate glaze while the Snow Man is a pretty confection of Grand-Marnier chocolate mousse with orange candied strips and layers of Alsatian winter spice sponge cake, coated with French meringue. Order online and pick up at Pierre’s in Bridgehampton or Pierre’s Market in Sagaponack.
Izzy’s
The Boozy Cakes from Izzy’s steakhouse in San Francisco are certain to strike a happy chord. Seven cakes, inspired by Izzy’s signature cocktails and full of (premium) spirit, will help you toast to Christmas, New Year’s, or maybe to just getting through another lockdown. Flavors include Triple Layer Chocolate Cognac made with chocolate genoise and dark chocolate ganache, Lemon Drop Cake boozed up with vodka, Spiked Red Velvet with Kahlúa and Baileys cream-cheese frosting, and Grandma’s Carrot Cake with Grand Marnier cream-cheese frosting. Preparing for Dry January? There are “virgin” versions as well.
Kern’s Kitchen
Kern’s Kitchen can lay claim to being the sole producer of Kentucky’s famous Derby-Pie®. For more than 60 years Louisville’s Kern family has held the secret recipe to this confection. All they’ll disclose is that the pie has chocolate chips and walnut pieces. You’ll have to scope out the rest of the ingredients on your own as you tuck into a slice of history.
