Seven local made food items perfect for gifting~
The holiday season is in full swing and everyone is getting festive with holiday inspired specialities. Here is a list of the local edible products we have tried recently that we feel will make great gifts. Something to wrap and place under the tree, ann item to bring to a dinner party so that you don’t arrive empty handed, and/or that thing to share during an office potluck. After all, food items are less likely to be regifted and are easier to share.
Ruby Sweets works out of a commissary kitchen to bring the city high protein and less sugar desserts with plenty of gluten-free options available.
Her speciality are majestic macarons that are picture perfect out of a fairytale. Expect familiar flavours like hazelnut, pistachio, and vanilla; in conjunction with creative takes like jumbo macarons. The latter make quite the splash, magical like cotton candy with glitter and sprinkles.
Known for already adding a macaron shell to croissants, she has now done it to cookies. Thus creating the “MaCookie”, available this holiday season. These are a chewy chocolate chip cookies topped with a crisp macaron shell. A perfect blend of both without being too sweet.
When they first opened La Fraise was a flower boutique with fresh and dried flower arrangements, only dabbling in chocolate. They have since transformed into a premium chocolate shop, offering an array of in-house made handcrafted treats and a collection of local specialty food items.
Their Christmas Collection is now available and includes charming winter decorations on their chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate truffles.
Available for purchase in the singular, but they make for a handsome collection as a boxed set, gifting ready with their branded pink ribbon finish.
They’re In-House Made Chocolate Truffles come in seasonal flavors like Gingerbread Spice, Peppermint, and Pistachio Cream. Decadent and rich, you enjoy one in two bites and savour.
If you can only pick one item, let it be their Christmas-Themed Chocolate Strawberries. These are the best chocolate covered strawberries we have ever had. The strawberries are always sweet and juicy, and their shell of milk chocolate offers a nice crunch to every bite. A perfect balance of both that still allows the fragrance of strawberry to shine.
Established in 1993, Terra Breads started as a small bakery in Vancouver, BC, focused on artisan bread and small-batch granola. Today they have two locations supplying retail stores all across Canada.
They have a commitment to quality ingredients and it shows in this season’s offerings. The following is what we tired.
I love panettone, I have been known to eat a whole loaf in one sitting and Terra Bread has two sizes of their Chocolate Cherry Panettone one. The small is the size of a muffin and ideal for one. The large serves 2-4. A light and airy fruit bread with Belgian chocolate, dried cherries, citrus zest, vanilla, and a cocoa-glazed top.
I liked the gender neutral “Gingerviduals”. These are the most refined gingerbread we have ever had. Great for those who don’t like the pungent ginger of gingerbread and rather have it more molasses. Mild gingerbread spices and a soft and chewy cookie, given pops of sweetness form the Royal icing details.
Much like the cookies above the Lemon Shortbread Sticks are great with coffee or tea. Lemony shortbread cookie, lemon glaze, crushed pistachios, and freeze-dried raspberries. The stick format make them great for nibbling on. Lemon is the main flavour over buttery biscuit, with the dried nut and fruit adding crunch.
This was my first time trying Stollen and I loved it. Like the panettone above in sweet fruit, but speckled in a dense sourdough -like bread instead. Chewy with pockets of air bubbles and a creamy centre of Marzipan paste; alongside rum-soaked raisins, cranberries, toasted almonds, citrus zest, and spices. So filling that a couple of slices can replace a meal.
They also have their original and famous granola with oats and nuts, available in grab and go packets, marketed as “Granola Stocking Stuffers”.
For ideal freshness any of the above is what you would bring as a hostess gift or for something to add to the dessert table.
Beta 5, known for their cream puffs and chocolate is back with their seasonal Deck the Hall Collection. Six popular seasonal flavours decorated in a glossy red, green, or brown. We had the following 4 truffles, each true to its flavour promise and each with a layer of crunch to balance out each rich and creamy centre.
My favourite was the Carrot Cake truffle, described as a “snack for Rudolph”. A roasted carrot caramel layered with spiced walnut and brown sugar praline.
The Peppermint Thin was chocolate and candy cane. A fresh peppermint and Michel Cluizel white chocolate ganache, layered with a house-made oreo cookie praline and tucked inside a thin shell of 66% Valrhona dark chocolate.
The Gingerbread won silver at the Canadian Chocolate awards. It is creamy caramel ganache crafted with their custom-blended 46% Valrhona milk chocolate and infused with a blend of gingerbread spices, layered with a house-made speculoos cookie praline and tucked inside a thin shell of 46% Valrhona milk chocolate.
And the Hot Chocolate included a layer of marshmallow. Valrhona 46% milk and 66% dark chocolates blended into a creamy ganache and finished with a layer of vanilla bean marshmallow.
Those Pretzels have become a Vancouver tradition. Family owned and operated, they come out during the winter and are popular at all Christmas Markets. They are known as the most addictive pretzels, and nothing like the pub style ones with coarse salt.
It is guaranteed that you have never tried anything like this and once you do, you will be hooked. Those who know would love to see this under the tree, but it is better as a giant bag to share at your next office party. A handful with drinks or something to snack on before dinner is ready. This one is a crowd pleaser.
Similarly, local distillery The Woods has a new hazelnut cream liqueur that makes for fantastic holiday mixing. Wherever and whenever you would reach for a creamy spirit or want a bit of nuttiness, look to the Crema Nocciola. I recommend baking with it in place of milk.
If you are looking for something vegan Oh Yas! Goodies specializes in handmade, artisan, gluten-free, and plant-based treats. Available fresh through ordering from their website, or conveniently out of The Vegan Supply baked goods showcase.
Flavours include Spanish Churros, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Miso Matcha, Lemon Raspberry, Earl Grey, and Double Chocolate. Their Spanish Churro flavour is also available frozen for quick and easy reheating when you crave that sweet treat. With its cakey texture, once warmed it is hard to tell that it came out of the freezer.
In short, treat yourself or spoil a love one with any of the above, and have yourself a very Merry Christmas.
