Small indulgences can make a big impression when it comes to holiday gift giving. Sweet treats, posh liquors, and stylish kitchen tools are at the top of our list.

John & Kira’s
Drunken Chocolate Figs Tower
To build this tower of chocolate tastiness, local chocolatiers John and Kira start with sweet, thin-skinned figs from southwestern Spain and hand fill them with dark chocolate whiskey ganache. They’re finished with a dip into a thin layer of more dark chocolate. The result is a smooth, boozy treat. The figs come with a 15-piece assortment of chocolates filled with creamy ganache in flavors like lavender honey, earl grey tea and pistachio. The chocolates and figs come in John and Kira’s signature wooden boxes that can be personalized with a logo or monogram artfully burned into the wood. $49.50 for 21 pieces; www.johnandkiras.com or 1-800-747-4808.

Vosges Haute Chocolate
Holiday Truffle Collection
Vosges made chocolate fashionable when its stylish founder merged her love for chocolate with her zest for travel and exotic flavors. The result was a line of gourmet chocolate truffles infused with spices, herbs, roots and flowers from around the world. The limited edition holiday truffle collection pays homage to Victorian holiday traditions with flavors like Holiday Plum Pudding made with dark chocolate, Armagnac and plum and the Eggnog with nutmeg, Jamaican rum and white chocolate. The collection comes in a luxurious purple box tied with a white satin ribbon and a keepsake Jonathan Adler ceramic ornament. $64 for a 16-piece box with ornament; www.vosgeschocolate.com

Teroforma Whiskey Stones
Milled from Vermont soapstone, these innovative little cubes chill your premium liquor without diluting it. Natural soapstone has the unique ability to retain temperature for extended periods of time and its naturally soft texture won’t scratch delicate glassware. The bag stones come in a set of nine cubes and muslin bag that’s easy to store in the freezer. To chill your drink, pop in a few stones, let stand for five minutes and enjoy! Stones can be rinsed, dried and re-chilled.
$20 at the Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction shop, 116 N. 3rd St. in Old City or online at www.artintheage.com.

Clay Pig Baking Dish
This happy earthenware pig is an artful piece that can go from oven to table and decorate your countertop in between uses. The dish is made from unglazed brown clay and comes from an area in Chile where the artisans use century-old sculpting techniques. This clever piece is just one of the beautiful offerings from the new home and kitchen line at Terrain. $48.00, Terrain at Styers, 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills; www.terrainathome.com.

Monogrammed Barware
Add a personal touch to cocktail parties with a set of monogrammed barware or a service accessory like cocktail shakers or ice buckets. Williams-Sonoma offers a variety of glass, crystal and silver barware that can be personalized with a hand-etched monogram. Any piece of the collection would make the perfect gift for newlyweds or for friends who are always entertaining. $30 and up at Williams-Sonoma, Suburban Square or williams-sonoma.com.

Carpano Vermouth
Most cocktail drinkers think of vermouth as a finishing ingredient to martinis and other refined drinks, but a smooth, quality vermouth also makes the perfect aperitif or dessert wine. Carpano, made by one of Italy’s greatest producers of vermouth since 1786, is red, sweet vermouth with warming flavors of vanilla, dried fruit and orange peel. There’s no need to wrap up this bottle, it’s packaging is a gift in itself. Each blown bottle is a replica of the original 18th century bottle and is finished with a vintage label and a traditional cork and red seal.
$29.99 at area liquor stores or through special order at lcb.state.pa.us.

1. Hi,

   we just featured your list on our Big Guide to Foodie Gift Lists. Come check it out! If you like it, please share it with your social network (Foodbuzz, Facebook, Twitter, etc).

   Aloha, Nate
   House of Annie food blog

   Posted by Nate | December 1, 2009, 12:11 am

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3. [...] Magazine presents their list of Tasty and Useful Gifts for Food Lovers. The whiskey stones which chill your premium liquor without diluting it are a great [...]

   Posted by The Big Guide to Foodie Gift Guides | House of Annie | July 26, 2010, 9:43 pm