The Cake Is in the Mail

It wouldn’t be the holidays if you didn’t put on at least a couple of pounds, so you might as well eat something memorable. From sweets to meats, these mail-order edibles are decidedly Southern and make great gifts. Or you might want to stash them away to roll out when guests arrive. If you can wait that long.

1) NOLA Sweets
Magazine Street’s ultra-sleek patisserie Sucré offers up the NOLA Chocolate Collection, featuring evocative local flavors like the dark chocolate “Magnolia,” rich with pecan ganache. Parisian macaroons and handmade marshmallows, too. $12-$42; shopsucre.com

2) Heavenly Toffee Cookies
These cookies from North Carolina conjure up the nostalgic crunch of holiday toffee, and come lovingly packed in a tin, just like grandma’s. $11-$33.50; goodnessgracie.com

3) Tupelo Honey Shortbread Cookies
No added anything—just classic shortbread made with pure flour, butter, sugar, and tupelo honey, a Southern treasure. $16.50; savannahbee.com

4) Alma Hackney’s Rum Cake
Direct from the Red Truck Bakery in the northern Virginia Piedmont, this glazed Bundt cake is rum-soaked, buttery, and strictly adheres to an inherited recipe from the late, much beloved church choir director Alma Hackney. $24; redtruckbakery.com

5) Southern Chutneys
Traditional Southern-flavored chutneys, like hot peach or spicy plum, are holiday buffet essentials with sliced meats and cheeses. $6.95/10 ounces; virginiachutney.com

6) Artisan Teas
Nashville-based Partners Tea Company creates handcrafted blends like Midnight Moonlight (white tea with jasmine and melon), or try the straight-up punch of a malty Assam black. $11; partnerstea.com

7) Cane River Pecans
Top-quality Louisiana pecans (natural, roasted, or smothered in praline or chocolate), shipped in a custom tin decorated with artwork by Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter. $32-$34; caneriverpecan.com

8) Southern Charcuterie
Wood-smoked Andouille, lean Tasso ham, meaty smoked hocks, and everything else you need to get your gumbo going. $3.70-$6.25/lb;  cajunsausage.com