2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Sweet Treats
With many of us spending the holidays away from friends and family this year, I’ve rounded up a number of my favorite sweet treats to send across the miles. These have been my go-to gifts for birthdays over the past 9 months, as well as for the past few years. The shipping times on these are much more reliable when you want to get something delivered on someone’s actual birthday, which takes some stress out of gifting. Spoiler alert, if you are my friend and have a December birthday, I’ve already ordered something from this guide for you!
Milk Bar: This is my current go-to for birthdays ever since my coworkers sent me 3 boxes of the truffles when I left Panera back in May. If you are not familiar with Milk Bar, it’s a sweet shop in NYC that is known for its compost cookies, crack pie and cereal milk ice cream with cornflake topping. Their birthday cake truffles are my personal favorite, and a true labor of love if you make them yourself, and MUCH sweeter if you order them online. For birthdays, I love to send the cake + truffle combo. I have a friend receiving that tomorrow in fact! If you use my link to order, you’ll get $10 off your first order of $50.
Baked by Melissa Cupcakes: My friend Amanda turned me onto this glorious mini cupcake gift last year when she sent me a box. Baked by Melissa is based in NYC so if you’re local to there, you can pick up at their store; but anywhere else you can ship for a reasonable price. They arrive in a box with ice packs, and are deeeeeeelicious. The thing I love about mini cupcakes is in my mind I assume, they are mini, henceforth, no calories. I can eat about 8 of these in less than 5 minutes, so be warned. This is also my go-to gift for friends with nut allergies, as there are both nut-free and gluten-free cupcake options. I don’t have a generic referral link, but if you want to order from here let me know and I can send you an email to get $5 off your first order of $35 or more.
Sugarfina: Sugarfina is the perfect gift for the candy lover in your life. I used to send these out to all of my coworkers for the holidays. They have super cute gift boxes themed for the holidays, congratulations, birthdays or just because. Sugarfina candies are an indulgence if you buy them for yourself, but one of my favorite gifts to receive (and send, obviously). If you’re a baller and want to really impress someone, send one of the giant candy trunks. Those look amazing. I usually stick to the 3 or 8 bento boxes and do my own selections. I personally do not like gummies, so I go with all of the chocolate candies. If you use my link you can get 20% off your first Sugarfina purchase of $50+.
Jeni’s Ice Cream: This is the ULTIMATE gift for the ice cream lover in your life. Jeni’s ice cream is so so so good. I first had it when I was in Nashville a few years ago and am very happy they carry it at my local Whole Foods. The Brambleberry Crisp flavor is my favorite. They have tons of gift options, including sundae kits with caramel sauce (yum) and dairy free options. You can also purchase subscriptions, as the gift that keeps on giving.
Georgetown Cupcakes: This DC based cupcake shop has the best cupcake frosting I’ve ever tasted. I’m not a cake lover myself, but I could eat the frosting off of every cupcake in a Georgetown dozen with no shame. They have a location in Boston on Newbury Street, so this used to be our go-to for office birthday parties, when working in an office was a thing. I received a dozen cupcakes from my boss lady friends for my birthday earlier this year, and had to give half to my neighbor, as portion control is not a phrase in my vocabulary. I have a favorite person in my life whose birthday is this week receiving her first dozen.
Edoughble Cookie Dough: Everyone loves cookie dough. No one loves Salmonella. Edoughble is edible, eggless cookie dough that is safe to indulge in. It’s also a gift that you can keep on in your fridge and snack on for a few weeks (or however long it takes you to take down a pint of dough, no shame). They also have gluten free and vegan options, so there is truly something delicious for everyone.
GroundUp PDX Nut Butters: So all of the options above are sugar packed, I realize that. GroundUp PDX Nut Butters is the perfect gift if you’re looking to send something sweet for the holidays that won’t send someone into a sugar coma. They always have delicious seasonal flavors like Egg Nog and Gingersnap, and offer sampler gift sets so that you can get a taste of several flavors. The Snickerdoodle is my all-time favorite, but I also love the Hazlenut. They often have special edition flavors, like this Waffle Cone one that I still dream about – and will admit with no shame that I would eat it straight out of the jar with my finger. NOT EVEN A SPOON. Truly finger lickin’ good. They also have a great cookbook if you’re looking to make your own nut butters at home.
Drizly: Lastly, is there anything sweeter than a straight up booze delivery right to your door? I think not. Drizly is alcohol delivery, that is like the Uber Eats for booze. Available in select cities, this is my go-to for last minute gifts for my city friends. I sent my friend in D.C. a bottle of Aperol, Prosecco and club soda back in August for her birthday, and it arrived in LESS THAN 30 minutes. You cannot go wrong with booze. Just make sure the recipient will be home at the time of delivery, since I don’t think they’ll leave booze on the front porch, and if you live in Southie that will be stolen faster than you can say How Bout Them Apples?
