Whether homemade or store-bought, receiving something yummy around the holidays is always nice. You might not have time to whip up a batch of delicious treats, but these local establishments are ready to ship their goods right to your friends front door.
4 Rivers Smokehouse
Winter Park, FloridaOur Pick: 4 Rivers Smokehouse Pitmaster Kit, $65; 4rsmokehouse.comWhat better way to surprise the grillmaster in your life? Our South’s Best Barbecue Joint of 2020 has bundled up their 4R Signature Sauce and 4R Hot Signature Sauce plus their Brisket Rub, Coffee Rub, and All Purpose Rub for the complete grilling package.
Blackberry Farm
Walland, TennesseeOur Pick: Biscuits 3 Ways, $70; blackberryfarm.comNestled in the scenic Great Smoky Mountains, this iconic resort and family farm has been reaping the harvest of its 4,200 acres for decades. The Biscuits 3 Ways gift set has all the makings of a special holiday breakfast. It comes with two Blackberry Farm biscuit mixes as well as three of their premium topping options: Benton’s bacon, house-made sausage (or country ham), and Reserve Blueberry Jam. Or, for the budding gardener on your Christmas list, buy a collection of Blackberry Farm heirloom seeds—including their Homestead Tomatoes and Pencil Cob Corn, among others. It’s the gift that keeps on growing.
Buxton Hall Barbecue
Asheville, North CarolinaOur Pick: Buxton Hall Barbecue Cookbook and 3-pack Spicewalla Collection, $45; spicewallabrand.comPitmaster Elliott Moss is known for his whole-hog barbecue, and chef Meherwan Irani is recognized for his innovative twists on Indian street food. The Asheville restaurateurs’ culinary styles may seem worlds apart, but they’ve found a way to fuse their passions in one epic crossover joint: Buxton Hall Barbecue. The virtues of this alliance ring clear in the Buxton & Spicewalla Rubs, combining Moss’ barbecue skills with Irani’s supreme mastery of spices.
Café du Monde
New Orleans, LouisianaOur Pick: Mid-City Basket, $30; shop.cafedumonde.comIf you’ve taken the trip to New Orleans, chances are you’ve made a stop at Café du Monde, a veritable Big Easy institution established in 1862. If you’ve dined at Café du Monde, you’re likely still dreaming of powdered sugar-piled beignets dunked in roasted-chicory coffee. Luckily, the Mid-City Basket includes everything you will need to recreate that amazing experience, from the beignet mix right down to the coffee-and-chicory blend and a pair of souvenir mugs. Send it to your favorite travel buddy.
Condor Chocolates
Athens, GeorgiaOur Pick: Condor Gift Box, $65; condorchocolates.comThe perfect gift for any chocolate-lover. Brothers, Nick and Peter Dale, born and raised in Athens opened their first shop doors together in 2014 inspired by their Ecuadorian heritage. With staples like Honeycomb Toffee and an assortment of chocolate, you can’t go wrong. But it’s the seasonal truffles (and classics like caramel) that make it a holiday gift-worthy box.
Collin Street Bakery
Corsicana, TexasOur Pick: DeLuxe Fruitcake, $34; collinstreet.comIt wouldn’t be Christmas without fruitcake—and this one can’t be beat. Family-owned Collin Street Bakery has been making this renowned treat since 1896, and the recipe has stayed the same. The DeLuxe Fruitcake is made with Texas pecans, golden raisins, organic Costa Rican pineapple, papaya, honey, and a crown of glossy cherries and pineapple chunks. This stunning dessert will elevate any Yuletide spread.
Cookie Fix
Homewood, AlabamaOur Pick: Cookie Fix Classics Tin, $42; cookiefix.comAfter years of baking her homemade treats for Bible studies and PTA meetings, Amy Jason finally opened a tiny brick-and-mortar store in downtown Homewood. At Cookie Fix, Jason’s thick, gooey cookies—available prebaked or in frozen dough balls—come in 60 rotating flavors, stuffed with tasty mix-ins. Send a sampling of the most popular kinds with a Cookie Fix Classics Tin, including Chocolate Chip, M&M Chocolate Chip, Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel, and Brown Sugar Blondie. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a busy baker, you’re in luck—they also ship the frozen dough nationwide.
Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop
Miami, FloridaOur Pick: Key Lime Pie, $76; firemandereks.comLocations in Wynwood and Coconut Grove churn out pies, cakes, cheesecakes, empanadas, and just about any other sweets you can imagine. It all started with former Miami firefighter Derek Kaplan’s special recipe for Key Lime Pie. Nod to the season with a staple like the Pecan Pie, get creative with the Salty Monkey Pie, or deliver a taste of the Florida tropics with Fireman Derek’s classic Key Lime Pie, made with almost 2 pounds of freshly squeezed local Key limes. Surf’s up, Santa.
Georgetown Cupcake
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.Our Pick: Assorted Dozen, $42; georgetowncupcake.comWhat started as two sisters with a passion for baking has grown into a serious dessert empire. Since the first location of Georgetown Cupcake opened in 2008, the brand has skyrocketed to baking fame, with four locations across the country, two cookbooks, and a television show. It’s a good thing Georgetown Cupcake offers nationwide shipping to ensure you can send a little bit of extra love this season. Gift a generous sampling of the shop’s most popular flavors, featuring the classics like their Chocolate & Vanilla along with such December specialties as Christmas Cookie and Baileys Holiday Red Velvet.
Jubilations Cheesecake
West Point, MississippiOur Pick: Mississippi Mud Cheesecake, $38-$50; jubilations.comTammy Craddock’s Mississippi Mud Cheesecake might also be known as “homemade sin,” but a slice of this creamy dessert will take you right to heaven. A chocolate graham cracker-peanut crust meets vanilla cheesecake and is then loaded with a dripping hot fudge topping and candy bar chunks. Nothing is more decadent than this Mississippi classic.
Kern’s Kitchen
Louisville, KentuckyOur Pick: Derby-Pie Chocolate Nut Pie, $30; derbypie.comLeaudra and Walter Kern made the first Derby-Pie back in 1954; the chocolate-and walnut-studded delight has since become the state’s most legendary dessert. Kern’s Kitchen may have traded its 5-quart mixer for an 80-quart model, but each Derby-Pie is still made with love in Kentucky. You won’t find it anywhere else; they’ve got the trademark to prove it.
Marsh Hen Mill
Edisto Island, South CarolinaOur Pick: Grits Sampler Giftbox, $27; marshhenmill.comSmall-batch, hand-milled, and South Carolina-grown, Marsh Hen’s artisanal grits are a thoughtful present for any cook. The grits sampler box comes with three varieties of this Southern grain: white, yellow, and speckled grits.
Savannah’s Candy Kitchen
Savannah, GeorgiaOur Pick: Savannah’s Original Pralines, $30; savannahcandy.comIt doesn’t get more Southern than a pecan praline. Rather than going through the heartache of making this finicky confection from scratch, simply order a batch from Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. For more than 40 years, they’ve been crafting each praline by hand with fresh Georgia pecan halves. They arrive in a festive striped box.
Sugaree’s Bakery
New Albany, MississippiOur Pick: Sampler Cake, $69; sugarees.comSugaree’s goes by a simple guiding principle: Make it from scratch—and care about it. They ship many of their sweets nationwide, including the Sampler Cake: one hefty slice each of their homemade Italian Cream, Mississippi Caramel, Red Velvet, Coconut, Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Strawberry, and Rainbow layer cakes plus a slice of Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
The Peach Truck
Nashville, TennesseeOur Pick: The Jam Trio, $35; thepeachtruck.comPeach season might be over, but you can still give a small taste of Southern sunshine with The Peach Truck’s jams. The husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Jessica Rose work with Georgia farmers at places like Pearson Farm to pick and preserve this fruit during its summertime prime. Opt for the sampler, which can include one of each flavor of jam—Signature Peach, Jalapeño Peach, and Bourbon Peach.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
Charleston, South CarolinaOur Pick: Hot Little Combo Pack, $53; calliesbiscuits.comThese are the next best thing (or arguably even better) to homemade biscuits. Founded by Carrie Morey in 2005 to share her mother, Callie’s, handmade biscuits with the world–the iconic Southern brand is now nationally known and their biscuits sought after. Don’t worry if visiting one of their brick-and-mortar locations isn’t in the cards. You can order from their selection of flavored, pre-made, and frozen biscuits ready to pop in the oven. Or try the mix to make at home.