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10 Edible Holiday Gift Ideas For Your Favorite Foodie

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The holidays, of course, are a time for giving. But it can be difficult to figure out who wants what. There's the person who has everything, the person who wants nothing, the question of a gift being too expensive or too inexpensive. But even with all of that, it's kind of tough to show up empty-handed come Christmas morning or on a Hanukkah night.

What's a forlorn gift-giver to do? Why not buy some locally made food? Yankee Magazine's Amy Traverso visits us with some ideas from Yankee's second annual Yankee Food Awards.

Guest

Amy Traverso, senior lifestyle editor at Yankee Magazine. She tweets @amytraverso.

10 Edible Holiday Gift Ideas For Your Favorite Foodie

Some macarons from Moochie's Macarons, based in Derry, New Hampshire. (Emma-Jean Weinstein/WBUR)
Some macarons from Moochie's Macarons, based in Derry, New Hampshire. (Emma-Jean Weinstein/WBUR)

1. Marmalade from Blake Hill Preserves in Grafton, Vermont

  • Vicky Allard, and her husband Joe Hanglin, were the first Americans to win gold at the World Marmalade Awards this year. Their marmalade is made with single malt whiskey, and you can find it at Whole Foods stores.

2. Macarons from Moochie's Macarons in Derry, New Hampshire

  • Nina DiBona Pauk named her company after her Havanese puppy, and her macaron flavors include pistachio, fig and lavender honey. You can find them at City Feed & Supply in Jamaica Plain.

3. Molasses clove cookies from Dancing Deer in Boston

  • "These cookies have been around for 20 years and are a national-award winner. You can find them at specialty shops and supermarkets nationwide."
Molasses clove cookies from Dancing Deer in Boston. (Emma-Jean Weinstein/WBUR)
Molasses clove cookies from Dancing Deer in Boston. (Emma-Jean Weinstein/WBUR)

4. Chocolate-covered hazelnuts from Taza Chocolate in Somerville

  • "Taza offers Fair Trade stone-ground chocolate, and the hazelnuts are a good introduction to the coarse texture of Taza's chocolate, which you can find at specialty food stores and cafes throughout New England, including Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville.

5. Ascutney mountain cheese from Cobb Hill Cheese in Hartland, Vermont

  • Cobb Hill is a cooperative where residents run the farm, fairy, frozen-yogurt business and maple operation. This cheese works well with nuts, mushrooms, apples, pears and also for a grilled cheese sandwich. You can find it in Whole Foods stores in the Boston area.

6. Inspiration cheese from Mount Mansfield Creamery in Morrisville, Vermont

  • "This cheese is made with milk from a herd of 30 Brown Swiss and Holstein cows. The owners use an old Corsican recipe for the cheese, but they wash the rind with seasonal beers from a local brewery. It can be found at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge.
Coupole cheese from Vermont Creamery, made from goat's milk and Inspiration cheese from Mount Mansfield Creamery. (Emma-Jean Weinstein/WBUR)
Coupole cheese from Vermont Creamery, made from goat's milk and Inspiration cheese from Mount Mansfield Creamery. (Emma-Jean Weinstein/WBUR)

7. Coupole cheese from Vermont Creamery in Websterville, Vermont

  • This is an original American goat's milk cheese with a dense paste in the center that tastes like mushrooms, citrus and sweet hay. You can find it in most Whole Foods stores.

8. Black lava sea salt caramels from McCrea's Candies in Hyde Park

  • Candy maker Jason McCrea paired his background in chemistry with his passion for food to create these caramels, which are flecked with crunchy crystals of Hawaiian black lava sea salt. You can find them at numerous specialty and gift shops throughout New England.

9. Flake finishing salt from Atlantic Saltworks in Salem

  • Heather Ahearn and Alison Darnell experimented with early methods of salt-making using water from Gloucester Harbor and turned it into a business. Their finishing salt can be used as an accent on steak, grilled fish, roast chicken, eggs, or anything else. You can find their salt at Savenor's Markets in Cambridge and Boston.

10. Chai spiced tea blend from Chai Wallah in Guilford, Vermont

  • Neil Harley traveled throughout India and fell in love with chai, but couldn't find any in the United States that he liked, so he developed his own formula. You can find the blend at Cambridge Naturals in Cambridge.

More

Yankee Magazine: 2014 Yankee Magazine's Editors' Choice Food Awards

  • "This year marks our second annual food awards, which means that once again, we’ve been scouring New England’s groceries and markets to find the best locally made cheeses, jams, chocolates, sauces — and even salt! — for you to try."

This segment aired on December 22, 2014.

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