What's Hot in Holiday Gift Baskets

Discover retailers’ selections for the best snacks, confections, condiments and ingredients to incorporate in holiday gifts—plus, the latest trends in cocktail-themed baskets.

by Nicole Potenza Denis

Chris Toto, Around the Table, Pennington, NJ

Shelf-stable items like snacks, Italian pasta and/or sauce and premium dark chocolates are good choices. Kitchen gadgets are also popular as more people are cooking at home. My picks:

• Cucina Antica Fresh Spinach Sauce
• Danica Now Designs Cupcake Apron
• Long Grove Confections Dark Chocolate Pecan Myrtles (above)
• Salem Baking Company Cheese Biscuits (right)
• Silicone garlic peelers

Sue Taub, Holbrook Cottage, Briarcliff Manor, NY

We never sacrifice quality in our gift baskets. A product’s packaging, theme (like breakfast in a box) and size (mini jam jars) are key. Cookies, especially, are an important part of our holiday offerings. Some of my picks:

• Chocolat Moderne Bars (Red Fruits, Espresso and Lime)
• Earth and Vine Mini Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam
• Eleni’s Cookies: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Pink Sugar
• The Gracious Gourmet Mini Tapenades (Fig Almond and Artichoke Parmesan)
• Stonewall Kitchen Farmhouse Pancake Mix with Mini Maple Syrup

Constance Jesser, Jacksonville Mercantile, Jacksonville, OR

Hot gift basket items will have taste, compatibility, healthfulness and price appeal. Gluten-free Italian pasta will be part of our selections.
My choices include:

• Il Macchiaiolo Gluten-free Pasta
• Jacksonville Mercantile Avocado Oil (below)
• Ritrovo Selections I Peccati di Ciacco Truffle Honey (left)
• Steven Smith Teas (below)
• The Smoked Olive Olive Oil (below)

Matt Caputo, Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli, Salt Lake City, UT

In-store sampling—for items like truffle salt and chocolate—is a great selling point for some of our more expensive baskets. Because we cannot include wine in our gift baskets, we choose non-alcoholic effervescent tea beverages that have all the textural and aromatic things I’d expect from a fine wine. We’ll include:

• Amedei 9 Chocolate Bars
• Golden Star Tea
• Muzzi Antica Pasticceria Devil’s Balls and Angel’s Wings Milk Chocolate Truffles
• Ritrovo Selections Truffle & Salt
• Viola Colleruita DOP Umbrian EVOO

Cocktail-Themed Baskets

With the classic Cuban drink in fashion, a mojito-themed basket with all the necessities (silver rum, such as Flor de Cana White, fresh mint, powdered sugar, club soda and a muddler) is a great gift. El Milagro tortilla chips, Austin Slowburn salsa, Busseto Artisan Salami, John Wm. Macy’s Cheddar Cheesesticks, tall glasses and a pitcher are the perfect complements.
—Lisa Rydman Key, Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods, Houston, TX

Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine.

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