THE WIFE Guide: The Best Edible Housewarming and Host Gifts

It’s nearly that time of year! When you’re extended endless invitations to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas dinners, weekends away at Swiss chalets and holiday homes in Mustique. Surely you wouldn’t dream of showing up empty handed. THE WIFE has created the ultimate guide for the best treats to pack away in your luggage or send ahead or after as a thank you. Starting with the best pumpkin pie in Los Angeles from Urth Cafe (photographed above), call ahead to place your orders now for Thanksgiving dinner. (Also available in a vegan, gluten-free option) Click “continue reading” to see what you should be giving from coffee and tea to ice cream and breakfast treats for christmas morning! –Taryn Cox for THE WIFE

Coffee:

• La Colombe Coffee Beans: La Colombe only conceives culinary coffees that is dedicated to being balanced and round, consistent, deep but not overbearing, mindful of the kitchen and designed for the palate, $12.95 at Shop.lacolombe.com
• La Colombe Pure Black Cold Brew Coffee: Steeped for 16 hours in stainless steel wine tanks, free from oxygen, pressed and filtered twice, Pure Black Cold Brew Coffee is a bottled celebration of the culinary flavors of coffee, 12 Bottle Case $30.00 at Shop.lacolombe.com
• Laughing Man Coffee Beans: Drink a cup of morning coffee and better the world at the same time. 100% of Laughing Man Worldwide revenue goes back to education, community development and new business development, $14.00 at Laughingman.com
• Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee: Stumptown uses high quality, hand sorted, meticulously roasted coffee to craft their Cold Brew. The same formula they’ve brewed by hand in their cafes for years is now bottled and ready be stocked in your own fridge at home, $5.00 at Stumptowncoffee.com
• Stumptown Coffee Beans:  The Portland, Oregon based roasters have been nicknamed the third wave of the coffee movement. They have helped refine coffee drinkers palates in pursuit of the best quality coffee, spending a considerable amount of time visiting farms in person and paying high prices for coffee they only deems worthy. WIFE Favorite: Stumptown Brew Kits: $125.00 – $420.00 at Stumptowncoffee.com
• Saturday’s Blend No.1:  Thick, flavorful, lasting and unforgettably dense. Saturday’s Blend is the best described as raw, full-bodied and Medium dark roast, $13.50 at Saturdaysnyc.com
• Monmouth Coffee Company: This sustainable, fair and equal trade company sell a wide variety of beans that are sourced from single farms, estates and cooperatives. 27 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9EU Monmouthcoffee.co.uk
• Blue Bottle Coffee Company:  Blue Bottle will only sell coffee less than 48 hours out of the roaster to their customers, so they may enjoy coffee at its peak of flavor. Also only using the finest organic, and pesticide-free, shade-grown beans, $17.00 – $26.00 at Bluebottlecoffee.com
• Verve Roasters Choice subscription: Verve Coffee Roasters are invested in making each cup of coffee an authentic, quality experience. WIFE Favorite: Enjoy a subscription that comes right to your door. They will rotate their Latin America, Africa, and Asia & Pacific coffees with your order, so you’ll have a chance to taste them all, $112.00 at Vervecoffeeroasters.com

Tea:

• The Lawn Tea Collection: Choose from their selection of five teas that all look as good as they taste. These are ideal as gifts if you’re looking for something new and different. Lawn Tea is sold in clear containers so they can be appreciated for their beauty, as well as their taste. WIFE Favorite: The Rose Garden (Fruit Tea), $12.00 at Johnlewis.com
• Lov Organic Wellness Teas: Løv Organic proposes a range of organic teas that are both delicious and environmentally friendly; a choice of innovative and delicious blends in beautiful eco-friendly packaging. They are free from GMOs; contain only natural flavourings and at least 95% of organically grown ingredients free from chemical treatments, $14.00 – $17.00 at Love-organic.com
• Harney & Sons Classic Tea in Sachets: Harney & Sons make their teas for the enjoyment of their customers and take pride in meeting and exceeding their expectations with every cup of tea. Harney and Sons selection is large, and includes many customer favorites from the popular black, green, and white tea varieties to the more eclectic oolong, jasmine, and art teas. WIFE Favorite: Classics in Sachets, $8.00 at Harney.com
• 100% Raw Varietal Honey: Bee Raw thrives on the belief that what tastes good can also be good for you and good for the planet, and that small indulgences should be enjoyed daily. They create a simple, beautiful array of the highest quality honey, all made with pride and care—responsibly, sustainably and fairly. WIFE Favorite: Assorted 3 pack, $48.00 at Beeraw.com
• Fortnum & Mason Tea: Over the last 300 years, Fortnum’s has built up a superb collection of tea blends that range from light and delicate to full-bodied and robust. From their Royal Blend, created in 1902 for Edward VII, to the classic Queen Anne Blend, their exclusive blends of tea continue to please right into the 21st century. Complete selection available at Fortnumandmason.com

Breakfast:

• Croissonuts: Modeled after the pastry that has taken New York City by storm, this version of the clever hybrid between a croissant and donut makes it easy for you to enjoy at home, piping hot and at their flaky, tender best. Set of 18, $39.00 at Williamsonoma.com
• Sarabeths Orange Apricot Preseves: This was the first product made by Sarabeth in her home kitchen, which launched the entire Sarabeth “empire.” A perfect blend of oranges, apricots and pineapple, it was described by Food and Wine Magazine as being “in a class by itself.” Winner of the “Domestic Fine Food Award” and “Outstanding Classic Product Award” at the International Fancy Food Shows, $11.00 at Sarabeths.com
• Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Syrup: This fancy-grade light-amber syrup is made from the pure sap of Vermont maple trees, without additives or preservatives. Filtered, flavor-tested and packed under Vermont’s strictest standards, it has a true maple flavor and texture no imitation syrup can match, $17.00 – $40.00 at Williamsonoma.com
• Ad Hoc Gluten Free Waffle and Pancake Mix: Sweeten the morning with this gluten-free version of the legendary pancakes and waffles at Ad Hoc, a casual Napa Valley eatery headed by award-winning chef Thomas Keller. Simply add milk, butter and eggs, and pair with your favorite toppings, $19.00 at Williamsonoma.com
• Bouchon Bakery Muffin Mix: Bouchon Bakery first opened to bake bread for chef Thomas Keller’s award-winning restaurants, and it soon expanded to include all sorts of memorable treats. Their muffin mixes make it easy to enjoy a taste of this award-winning bakery at home. (Also available in Gluten Free), $17.00 at Williamsonoma.com
• Dean and Deluca Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup: Made with a whole vanilla bean in each bottle, their all-natural 100%-pure maple syrup gives a little extra flavor to breakfast treats, $22.00 at Deandeluca.com
• Classic Croissants: Master pastry chef Jean-Yves Charon crafts croissants in the traditional French style, using his buttery, award-winning puff pastry, cutting and shaping the pastries by hand. Shipped frozen, they are easy to prepare—just let rise overnight and then bake. The croissants emerge from the oven with flaky, golden-brown exteriors, delicate interiors and an irresistible buttery aroma. Set of 15, $39.95 at Williamsonoma.com
• Zabar’s Gift Baskets: New Yorkers have come to trust in and love Zabar’s , not only as a landmark, but for their famed bagels, white fish salad and cinnamon rugelach.  Zabar’s really is an experience,  you have to see the crowds, hear the banter of our sales help, smell the croissants baking and admire the rich brown hues of their coffee. WIFE Favorite: Westsiders Basket, $399.00 at  Zabars.com
• Tartine Bakery Morning Buns: San Francisco’s famed Bakery, made famous for  one pastry in particular… The Morning Bun. These buns are a hybrid between the croissant and the cinnamon roll; flaky goodness filled with cinnamon, sugar, orange zest and butter. 600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, California, 94110, Tartinebakery.com
  

Popcorn:

• Pipcorn: Pipsnacks is an all-natural snack food.  Pipcorn, which is a small kernel hulless popcorn. The flavors are dynamic and range from savory rosemary or crabby flavor to the traditional sea salt and even a kettle flavored pipcorn. Also pledging to provide the best product possible without the use of any filler ingredients or preservatives. WIFE Favorite: Holiday Crate (White Truffle, Gingerbread and Kettle and Sea Salt), $58.00 at Pipsnacks.com
• CC Made: CC Made starts with organic yellow popcorn bought directly from the farmer, pop it with some olive oil, add that to perfectly cooked caramel that has been seasoned just right, mix the scalding mixture by hand and you end up with the most addictive caramel corn.  WIFE Favorite: Sweet  Suite Box (2 Bags Caramel Corn, 1 Box Pink Salt Caramels and 1 Jar Sel Gris Caramel Sauce), $45.00 at CCMade.com

Candy:

• Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate:  They are able to source the finest fair-trade cacao and perform all the steps in-house to turn the raw ingredients into delicious chocolate, all in their small factory in Arcata, California. This entire process takes over a month to complete, but allows them to make some of the finest chocolate possible. Only using organic cacao and organic cane sugar in their chocolate. WIFE Favorite: Black Fig Chocolate Bar (Chopped and dried black mission figs adorned with 72% Madagascar), $7.50 Each at Dicktaylorchocolate.com
• Mast Brothers Chocolate Bars: The Mast Brothers are pioneers of the bean-to-bar craft chocolate movement. Sourcing cocoa with unique flavor profiles from around the equator, they roast the beans in small batches to create truly handmade chocolate. At their flagship factory and retail shop in Brooklyn, their distinctive bars are wrapped in exquisite custom papers. WIFE Favorite: Almond and Sea Salt Chocolate Bar, $10.00 Each at Deandeluca.com
• Rococo Chocolate Wafer Thins: Rococo’s delicately nuanced flavours and creative chocolate bars make for the most inspiring gifts through their warm and inviting gift shops and beautiful packaging. WIFE Favorite: Dark Chocolate Passion Fruit and Lime Wafer Thins (Subtle, fruity fragrance perfectly balancing rich dark chocolate) £14.50 Each at Rococochocolate.com
• Harbor Candy Shop: Harbor Candy Shop produces fresh handmade confections daily for customers. Their ingredients are carefully selected, from superior quality chocolate, to nuts meeting the best standard for each variety, to pure vanilla, butters and dairy cream, to fresh eggs from hens that have some open air and freedom.  WIFE Favorite: Grande Sampler Box, $56.00;  Peanut Butter Cups (vegan option also available), $24.00 and Dark Chocolate Non Pareils, $20.00 at Harborcandy.com
• Double Dutch Sweets:  Inspired by the classic Snickers candy bar, their bar has layers of buttery caramel and honey nougat with roasted peanuts that are hand dipped in single source Venezuelan dark chocolate. These nostalgic treats are lightly finished with Maldon sea salt flakes before they are carefully tucked in bright pink foil. Both sweet and salty – a perfect bite! WIFE Favorite: Sampler Gift Pack, $22.00 at Doubledutchsweets.com
• Equal Exchange Chocolate: Equal Exchange’s mission is to build beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers, while also crafting the most delicious fair trade and organic chocolate! WIFE Favorite: Chocolate Bar Collection Box, $30.00 and Candy Bar Variety Pack, $53.00 at Shop.equalexchange.coop

Cookies:

• ‘Lette Macaroons: The vivid hues of their unique macaroons reflect the natural flavors and essences that infuse the ganache filling of these delicious almond cookies. Choose from 12 everyday classics and seasonal specialties WIFE Favorites: Sweet Wedding Almond, Box of 24 for $44.00 at Lettemacaroons.com
• Levain Cookies: Everything in their upper westside Manhattan bakery is baked on-site, fresh every day from the finest natural ingredients. WIFE Favorite: Chocolate lover’s dream cookies (Prepared with an extra dark French cocoa and semisweet chocolate chips, they come out of the oven with molten layers of chocolate swirling together) Box of 12, $71.00 at  Levainbakery.com
• Deluscious Cookies and Milk: Whether you like your cookies chocolatey, fruity, nutty, chewy, crispy, cakey or fudgy, these will satisfy your craving. Also the creators of the best chocolate chip cookies in Los Angeles. WIFE Favorite: Crispy-edged cookies with a chewy center, filled with 3 different kinds of Belgian and domestic dark and semi-sweet chocolates. (vegan and gluten free options available) 1 Dozen cookies plus milk, $39.95 plus delivery costs at Delusciouscookies.com
• Tates Chocolate Chip Cookies: If you like crispy chocolate chip cookies, then these are for you. If you’ve ever eaten a Tates bake shop chocolate chip cookie , you know why they have such a cult following. WIFE Favorite: The original Tate’s Bake Shop’s signature thin, crisp chocolate chip cookie. Also available in gluten free! Visit Tatesbakeshop.com
• Momofuku Milk Bar Cake Truffles: The famed New York Milk Bar are known for its popular cake truffles. These sweet, buttery, battery bites are made from leftover cake scraps WIFE Favorite: Birthday cake truffles, box of 12, $16.00 at Shopmilkbar.com
• Yauatcha Macaroons: The Michelin-starred Yauatcha in Soho London specializes in dim sum, but has been making waves selling a selection of Asian-inspired macaroons. WIFE Favorite: Strawberry Macaroon, Box of 12 is £14, 15-17 Broadwick St, London W1F 0DL
• Laudree Macaroons: Give the fragranced, gourmet products of the House of Ladurée at every occasion and surrender to the temptation of gift boxes full of sweet delights, subtle and refined flavors. WIFE Favorite: The Pink Prestige box of 24 Parisian Macaroons, visit Laudree.com  for locations in New York, London, Paris and More.

Ice Cream:

• Fat Toad Farm Caramel: Their Goat’s Milk Caramel Sauces are the happy result of combining a small number of fresh, simple, natural ingredients and about 6 hours of hand-stirring. Both the sugars in their goat’s milk and the organic cane sugar caramelize to produce their creamy, velvety, but not-too-sweet caramel sauce. WIFE Favorite: The Classic Four Jar Caramel Gift Box (Original, Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, and Salted Bourbon), $50.00 at Fattaodfarm.com, sign up for their newsletter HERE to receive 10% off your order.
• Three Twins Ice Cream: Three Twins makes inconceivably delicious organic ice cream. By sourcing milk and cream from within 17 miles of their California factory, and carefully mixing and freezing each batch to ensure a smooth texture, extraordinarily fresh and tasty flavors. WIFE Favorite: The World’s Most Expensive Sundae (a decadent banana split made with syrups from three rare dessert wines (a 1960s vintage port, a Chateau D’Yquem and a German Trockenbeerenausiese). It’s served with an ice cream spoon from the 1850s and comes accompanied by a cellist performance. One-third of the purchase price will be donated to a local land trust) $3,333.00 or choose a 6 pack of your favorite flavors, $60.00 at Theetwinsicecream.com
• Jeni’s Ice Cream: Jeni and her kitchen team makes every ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt from the ground up with grass-grazed Ohio cream, local produce, and carefully sourced ingredients including rare, fair-trade vanilla and bean-to-bar chocolate. WIFE Favorite: Gold Digger Pint Collection, $75.00 at Jenis.com
• McConnell’s Ice Cream: McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams has been churning out their authentic, All-American, handcrafted goodness for nearly 70 years, building a sweet legacy of extraordinary ingredients, uniquely indulgent recipes and incomparable taste and texture. WIFE Favorite: Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Churros Con Leche and Salted Caramel Chip, $10.00 a Pint at Mcconnells.com
• Negranti Ice Cream: Using milk from pasture raised sheep,  Alexis Negranti creates each ice cream recipe herself.  The nutty, sweet-grassy notes of the sheep milk, blended with fresh, in-season ingredients makes Negranti Creamery ice cream the perfect treat. WIFE Favorite: Negranti Dairy Classic Collection (Includes a 16oz pint of each: Chocolate, Black Coffee, Raw Honey, Salted Brown Sugar, Vanilla Bean, Fresh Mint), $65.00 at Negrantidairy.com

Hot Coco

• Mariebelle Hot Coco: MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate is made with rich, 65% South American single-origin cacao. This smoky, perfectly smooth hot chocolate is remarkably easy to prepare. WIFE Favorite: 20 oz. Hot Chocolate Tin, $26.00 at Mariebelle.com
• Serendiptiy Frozen Hot Chocolate: From the famous NYC landmark restaurant, Serendipity 3, this gift is perfect for small children.  A blend of 14 exotic cocoas when mixed in a blender with milk and ice create a devilishly delectable treat. WIFE Favorite:  frozen Hot Chocolate Gift Set, $25.95 at Amazon.com 
• Plush Puffs Marshmallows:  These Mashmallows are made with the highest quality, all-natural and deliciously flavored. This is a marshmallow that is not only good enough to eat on its own, but amazing when melted in hot coco. Each flavor is actually intensified when it is roasted. WIFE Favorite:  Caramel Swirl, Pumpkin Pie and Peppi-ment, $5.99 each at Plushpuffs.com
• Wondermade Marshmallows:  Fun to eat, fun to share and made with 100% sweet magic air. Wondermade exclusively use cane sugar for all of their marshmallows.  WIFE Favorite: Their fun flavors can make smores or hot coco fun for adults with flavors like Bourbon, Guinness, Coffee and Chai, $7.95 each at Wondermade.com