Burnt Honey Pie
There are desserts, and then there are the mouthwatering confections dreamed up each holiday season by Flamingo Estate. This year’s burnt honey pie, a collaboration with the James Beard finalist pastry chef Melissa Chou, features a toasted wildflower honey custard topped with airy sabayon (a close cousin of meringue) ($250; flamingoestate.com).
Le Vigne Olive Oil
Spice savant, James Beard nominee, and Spicewalla founder Meherwan Irani selected this limited edition, small-batch, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil from Le Vigne in Umbria, Italy, just in time for gift-giving season. Smooth, peppery, and right for just about anything ($40; spicewallabrand.com).
For those with an adventurous sweet tooth, look no further than this collection of nine caramel flavors from McCrea’s, including single-malt Scotch and black lava sea salt options ($36; mccreascandies.com).
A faithful kitchen companion for use in vinaigrettes, marinades, you name it, this smoked Vidalia onion jam from the team at Blackberry Farm adds depth and savory vibrance ($14; blackberryfarmshop.com).
Dolly Parton Chocolates
If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer that combines kitsch, humor, and Southernness, a box of Dolly Parton–emblazoned sweets from Maryland’s Chouquette Chocolates is the answer ($18–$87; ggfieldshop.com).
Cheese Straws
Piedmont Pennies’ unconventionally round cheese-straw bites, based on a Carolina family recipe, are the ultimate complement to celebratory libations, from bubbles to bourbon ($40; piedmontpennies.com).
Mushroom Garum
Think of this bold, umami-rich sauce from Noma Projects as a dramatic way to dial up the flavor on sautéed spinach, hearty stews, and beyond ($25; nomaprojects.com).
Pimento Cheese
When you stumble on a proper pimento cheese like that turned out by Kentucky’s Curious Kitchen, you share it. It’s the Southern thing to do. Their recipe gets all the details right: very, very sharp cheddar, a kick of spice ($20; ggfieldshop.com).
If you show up bearing gifts of cinnamon rolls like these big, decadent versions from Nashville’s Biscuit Love, you’ll be welcomed with open arms (and ovens) ($100 for eight; goldbelly.com).
Amaro Cherries
These macerated Michigan cherries from St. Agrestis get steeped in amaro for twelve weeks, rendering them a best friend to sips from whiskey sours to simple sodas with bitters ($34; bignightbk.com).
Cookie Box
The sixty-plus sweets in this assortment from Magnolia Bakery are pure nostalgia, no oven required: spritzer cookies, chocolate-dipped shortbread, chocolate crinkles, gingersnaps, peppermint bark, and on and on ($139 for a tin; goldbelly.com).
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