Sometimes, we want to share and give the best gift possible to someone we truly care about. And sometimes, it is easy, obvious—a no-brainer. And sometimes, it is extremely difficult, not possible, and overwhelming to find something so perfect that encapsulates your care for another human being.

If you know what it is, you found it long ago: you made it, created it, have it, and are ready to share it.

And if you are still struggling, looking, and/or stressing over that special food-loving person in your life...then this is a solution that relieves stress on both sides of the gift.

Giving the gift of food is giving a gift of care. You care about their taste buds (because they are your best buds). You care about their core, their gut, their health. You know that what you eat is who you are, and food made with love is for people who love food.

Still, choosing what food to give is more complex than good taste. Or what tastes good. Do they like chocolate? Or do they have too much chocolate? Are they still baking sourdough bread? Do they drink coffee and chai? Spices, hot peppers, olive oil? Or will they misunderstand a gift of vinegar or binchotan, which is after all coal?

Or, like many of us now (at least when it comes to food), the choosing, the deciding, the research, the exploration, the recipe, and ultimately the exclamation of joy from creating is what we desire the most from the kitchen!

So, if you are still in a conundrum, an abyss, an empty mind (for me, it is like a snowstorm with just a hint of trees without a sure way to go), for that special food person in your life, the gift of a Gift Certificate of Food is one of the most precious ways you can share that you care.

A gift certificate of food says that you get, that they get, that life is food. That you trust their judgment to make something really good, that they know what they want, and they are a fun person who will make good choices.

The sharing is what food people love the most. Eating and sharing what we eat, that is how we bond, here, there, in the north, in the south, in the east, and in the west. Across the pond, across the lake, across the ocean, as humans, this is what we can all share with each other, a love of food.

Hugs and handshakes from all of us at ChefShop.com to you all...wishing everyone a Happy Holiday.

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This recipe comes from my Mom. Though I expect it is similar to many others that so many of us grew up with. My niece said that she always doubled the recipe.

See the Viennese Crescents Recipe here!

Our drinking chocolate, hot chocolate, has been something we have been making and drinking for over 20 years now.

With a desire to create a hot chocolate that is not like the others. Not bitter dark, not super sweet, combining the nuances of our Dark Drinking Chocolate and some of the familiarity that L'Ancienne exemplifies, the hot chocolate of our childhood memory, but in reality, bettah.

It might have all started for me way back when one freezing moonlit night, camping in the snow at the base of Mount Washington, inside a tent, I remember putting three packets of Swiss Miss into a cup of boiling water. The cup was filled with extra chocolatey goodness but it was overwhelmed with sugar. Since then I have sought the perfect cup full of hot chocolate to sip, that didn't leave me with a sickly buzz of sugar when I was done.

After all these years, we have found the perfect combination of chocolate to drink.

The basics are straightforward. Melting a good dark chocolate with a little sugar and milk is a great place to start. Using a Coco-Motion machine or on the stovetop, the results are delicious! This is a great way to have a super rich sipping chocolate in a demitasse cup!

What we like to do is a little more complex and fussy. Fussy in a tasty way.

We start the hot chocolate with our cocoa powder, milk and sugar. Whisking until fully combined. Add a pinch of fine sea salt, which is very important for chocolate to be its best.

And then the fun part begins. Not that the whisking is not wonderful, therapeutic and memory inducing. For me getting there is at least half the fun.

This is when you start adding, vanilla, dark chocolate, heavy cream, half and half, chai, bitters, almond extract, Irish cream, white chocolate, really, the ideas are endless.

And whilst you add, you taste, and taste, and taste. Now it is getting fun! Take copious notes if you want to recreate your concoction or be like me and every mix is a new adventure!

And if that isn't the best, you can now think about toppings like crushed up candy canes, miniature marshmallows, chocolate bits, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, dulce de leche, truffles, chocolate-covered cherries, toffee bits, a dusting of cocoa powder and anything else your heart desires!

And then stir it all up with a Slitti Chocolate spoon!

As good as it gets! The tradition of whisking, creation, tasting is the best.

See the ChefShop Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe here!

Chopping slabs of chocolate is time-consuming and tiring. Luckily for you, Essential Pantry has found an ultra-dark couverture chocolate all ready to go for drinking chocolate. And yes, couverture means plenty of cocoa butter for a great mouth feel!

Our Swiss Grand Cru drinking (74%) chocolates offer something for everyone: creamy, dark or ultra-dark. If dark is still not quite dark enough, then this is the drinking chocolate for you.

Shop now for Swiss Grand Cru Drinking Chocolate - Ultra Dark!

Let's clear this up right away. White baking chocolate is not chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids, thus missing the elements of riboflavin and thiamine - key ingredients of chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor is usually made up of at least 50% cocoa butter, a product of ground roasted cocoa beans, and those solids mentioned earlier. Valrhona white chocolate is made up of 33% cocoa butter, whole milk powder, sugar, vanilla extract.

It is interesting (confusing?) that white baking chocolate is not chocolate, and that chocolate is not chocolate without cocoa butter. Well, that isn't completely true either, because now chocolate can be chocolate without cocoa butter. I think. (You can decipher here at the FDA site for Cocoa Products. And then let us know. Please.)

In Europe, they can now use a small % of non-cocoa butter oil, in place of cocoa butter, to extend how much chocolate can be made. And not all chocolate makers do this. Here in the US, we can use vegetable fats in place of cocoa butteR. Yuk! I expect this is why good chocolate is good and not so good chocolate is slimy in the mouth.

So now that that is now established, it's still called "white chocolate." And when white chocolate is good, it is really, really, really good! It was my sister's favorite chocolate of all, and I have a love for it, too! Pop a few in and warm it with your mouth. Like its cousin, dark chocolate, you are rewarded immediately with the cocoa butter and vanilla flavor. Rich and satisfying as candy, or use this Valrhona baking chocolate for your best holiday cookies.

With a 37% cocoa butter content, this Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate couverture is exceptional. It has a good balance between milk and sugar and has delicate flavors and a very fine texture.

Shop now for White Baking Chocolate!

The natural oils and flavorings from Boyajian are a great way to to add flavors to baked goods, homemade candy, ice cream, or cocktails and other drinks. Almond flavor is ideal for macaroons, cakes, holiday treats and hot chocolate! Often a great replacement for Vanilla in cookies.

Shop now for Boyajian Almond Extract!

At first blush (and taste), these salted caramel crumbles are delicious! And then you wonder, what could they possibly be?

They are little crumbs of flavor—butter, caramel, salt, and a bit of crunchiness.

You know how when you have a hard, sticky toffee, and the initial "bite" is an enjoyable crunch and flavor? And then it gets all sticky, and you think your crowns are going to be sucked out of your teeth?

These salted butter caramel crumbles have all the good and none of the bad! Flavor, joy, and no worries are here!

Dip the tip of your spoon and get a great "hit" of sweet, caramel, buttery, and salty in one "shot."

Or, top your hot chocolate or swirl into your coffee! For baking, add a little to your dough, top your cookies & cupcakes, your morning oatmeal, and add pizzazz to your next batch of brownies. There's no better dessert crumble topping than these salted caramel crumbles by Kitty Keller.

Go beyond pastry and think of adding this dessert crumble topping to your fruit or pumpkin pie (is pie pastry?). Sprinkle liberally on roasted fresh fall apples or a gorgeous yellow-orange squash!

From the first spoon tip to the last, these Salted Caramel Crumbles hit the spot for my mouthfeel!

Impulse Turns to Compulsion!
"I picked up a jar on impulse while browsing the brick-and-mortar store in Seattle, not knowing what I'd do with it but intrigued. I started by adding it on top of some homemade "magic shell" I'd made with some fudge topping and coconut oil, sprinkling it on before the shell set on my ice cream and it was brilliant with the salty-sweet crunch and caramel depth. I then used it as part of a coating on some oatmeal cookies along with Demerara sugar, feuilletine flakes and flour de sel, for an inexplicable and lasting crispness that turned these cookies into a unique, legendary creation. Next was a simple sprinkle on top of yogurt with thawed frozen mangoes. I now have three jars on hand for my next inspiration and it's become a favorite from chefshop.com."
-- Paul

Shop now for Salted Caramel Crumbles!

These beautifully shaped chocolates look fabulous, and they taste even better than they look!

They look like spoons, albeit in need of a polish. Think of this as the ultimate way to add chocolate to your coffee or hot milk, just with the dip and swirl of your spoon!

Or, consider a nice chocolate or vanilla pudding eaten with a spoon of chocolate. What a simple luxurious delight!!

These are some of the most beautiful and delicious chocolates that we've ever tasted. Wrapped in Andrea's signature cream-colored sleeve and brown and gold ribbon, they will make a great gift for the chocolate lover in your life.

Shop now for Slitti Chocolate Spoons!

My first experience making a Dutch Baby was in my own kitchen with Michael, who was creating videos to pair with his cookbook, Herbivoracious (a cookbook worth having). He made quite a few video recipes. This one is intimidating in one sense, and yet it is actually crazy easy.

And it makes a wonderful fanfare when you bring the cast iron skillet to the table!

See the Dutch Baby with Sauteed Apples Recipe here!

It was Christmas in Paris, 1993. They hadn't seen each other in years; in fact, almost 38 years had passed, and in that time, their lives had switched around, and they lost contact.

To say both were not extremely apprehensive would be an understatement. He had moved on to raise a family stateside after school; she stayed to work many jobs, eventually opening a bookstore for obscure out-of-print French literature.

Flying into Charles de Gaulle had been a multi-leg trip that seemed to last forever, though the ride into 251 Rue Saint-Honore had been quick enough to allow the 40-minute walk to the cafe where they would meet. He was thankful for the brisk winter night air to clear his mind, oblivious to the fact it was barely zero degrees Celsius out.

She had chosen her seat carefully at the cafe table so the lights of the holiday would twinkle in her eyes, and she could watch the door. She spotted him as soon as he was close, walking in a classic pea coat. She anxiously checked him out, her eyes darting around, finally resting with anticipation on his hands.

He spotted her twinkling eyes as soon as he opened the door. She had not changed one bit; perhaps the night light and his failing eyes contributed, or perhaps it was anticipation. He saw nothing that would ease his racing heart.

As she stood, and they French kissed—no wait, Faire La Bise (cheek kissing)—he sniffed big and was pleased that there was no smell of contraband.

"Where is it? Is that for me?" she said, indicating the brown package in his hand as they sat awkwardly down. He always liked that about her, to the point. He responded not answering her question but with a question of his own, "Show me yours?"

She pushed a small package with her foot towards him as he handed his package to her. Smiles erupted simultaneously.

"Wow! You pulled out all the stops, Adams all-natural," she could barely contain herself as she opened the jar, a spoon magically appearing in her hand.

"Oh! A box of 16 Chocolate Armagnac & Cherries from Mademoiselle de Margaux!" he exclaimed as his nail easily pierced the cello wrapper and, in one swift movement, followed with the popping sound as one of the delectable treats disappeared into his mouth.

Both simultaneously closed their eyes with joy, she with her peanut butter (peanut butter is not available here), and he with his chocolate-covered cherries (they are available here!). It was worth the trip!

Shop now for Chocolate-Covered Cherries with Armagnac - Mademoiselle de Margaux!

These shortbread cookies smell just like any good cookie with lemon will smell! Awesome!!

Like a round cookie wearing a light lemon-colored sugar hat. The nose and the finish in the taste are when you get the most lemon. Otherwise, it is just a presence that blends wonderfully with the lightness of the shortbread.

If you look at the cross-section of the cookie, you see a crumbly texture, and the bite tells you the same. It is a nice, thin crunch bite.

Shop now for Island Bakery Lemon Melts!

Open the foil and smell - you can smell the biscuits' composition of wheat and the subtle chocolate that a calm chocolate smells like.

The first bite of half chocolate, half biscuit is firm, crisp, and out jumps the ginger! Wow!

This is a good bite! With the bits of ginger encased, hiding in the biscuit and blending as the chocolate crumbles and melts, pulling the bite altogether. It is good!

And the ginger is spicy like only ginger can be! Fun like a cookie should be!

Shop now for Island Bakery Chocolate Gingers!

Look at an Oat Crumble first before you bite, if you can. The top, there is a top and a bottom, is this variegated surface that has subtle different tones and bits. It is quite interesting, beautiful even in its randomness. The bottom, the back, is almost like seeing behind the curtain, indents featuring craters, little holes, and smoothness, too.

The bite is easy for the first bit, and then it is like your teeth stop working as you run into the oats. What a really fun bite! Entertainment!

This cookie crumbles apart just right.

They are less sweet than some, yet sweet enough to satisfy a tea-time craving, and substantial enough, with their jumbo oats, to keep you going for a while.

Shop now for Island Bakery Oat Crumbles!

Keep in mind that each and every ingredient matters, especially the butter. The butter really matters. It's the key. Look for local, just made butter if you can find it.

If you want to make it your own try adding small chunks of candied ginger, or a few tsp. of fennel pollen, or a few dashes of Scrappy's Lavender Bitters. Caramelized cocoa nibs will add a nice crunch and a bit of chocolate zing for those who crave cocoa in their sweets.

See the Simple Shortbread Recipe Here!

The lime and ginger floats across the tongue just before the lips start to tingle and the heat develops in the back of the throat.

An almost complex flavor that really enlarges your tastes and you know you have some heat now. The flavor has hints of bitter and savory. You will find yourself smacking your cheeks to get the most of every bite.

Shop now for Marshall's Serrano Ginger Lemongrass Haute Sauce!