Delectable gift baskets

Head to Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop in Manchester around lunch, order any one of their daily specials, and start your shopping on a full stomach. This Best of NH winner for “Best Specialty Shop” and “Best Gourmet To Go” sells a variety of imported and fresh pastas, cheeses, deli meats, wine, bread and many other unique items.

Customize your own basket to meet your specific needs or grab a hand-picked basket with products from the finest purveyors of specialty foods.

This one’s for you, breakfast lovers. Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill has been a family favorite for over 80 years. They offer a variety of gift basket combinations, like the pancake sampler, taste of maple or the family feast, which includes enough pancake mix to feed all of your friends and family, and a side of syrup and maple spread to top it all off.

You can order your basket online, but we recommend stopping by in person to enjoy the view, food and history while you eat and shop.

Feel good about supporting local agriculture — and find great gifts — at Tendercrop Farm at the Red Barn in Dover. All year long, they offer a number of handmade items, such as soaps, dried flower arrangements, wreaths, gift baskets, candles and more. Plus, around the holidays, the top floor of the barn is dedicated to even more gift ideas and festive décor. You can also stock up on produce, cheeses, coffee, jams, syrups, dips … basically whatever you need for either edible gift-giving or party-hosting. Plus, if you’re wiped out after a day of shopping, take home one of their prepared food items for a tasty and simple dinner.

The Granite State Candy Shoppe in Concord has an abundance of treats for every sweet tooth. For everything from gourmet chocolates to candies to fudge and a variety of maple products, stop by their retail or online shop and get a few goodies for yourself and a few for someone on your Christmas list. They offer their own gift baskets, or you can assemble one yourself.

Granite State Candy Shoppe has retail locations in Manchester and Concord.

On The Vine in Exeter is the definition of delicious and has been feeding Granite Staters since 2006. As an independent gourmet grocery store, they have worked hard to develop relationships with exceptional vendors to bring you the finest-quality products available. They offer a range of seafood, produce, bakery items, beer, wine, gifts and more, all perfect options for a holiday gift basket.

They are most well known for their butcher shop, so don’t forget to stop by and pick up something for dinner or for your Christmas dinner table spread.

Pressed for time? Zeb’s General Store will do the work for you, drawing on their decades of experience to craft a custom gourmet gift basket. You can do this over the phone (or order pre-made baskets online), but we suggest you walk around this North Conway favorite. That way you can pick out a treat for yourself, like something from the 80-foot candy counter or the store’s own kettle corn.

More culinary concoctions – all in one place

If you are looking for more local products to add to your gift baskets or for stocking stuffers, New Hampshire Made has all of your needs covered. With a boutique store in Portsmouth and a member directory available online that brings multiple vendors together under one roof, the organization increases awareness of and demand for New Hampshire-made products through the power of a “New Hampshire Made” state brand identity program. Executive Director Jessi Edgecomb says, “Your support of locally owned businesses, artisans and farmers contributes to the character of our communities and to the state’s economic diversity. Live Free and Buy Local whenever and wherever you can.”

Here are a few of Edgecomb’s tasty recommendations that are as good to give as to receive.

Located in a rural New England setting close to the banks of the Blackwater River, Blackwater Mustard Co. products are made with quality ingredients with no emulsifiers or preservatives. Discover or keep enjoying this local legend by ordering all eight flavors online, and finding out which events the company will be attending next. All of their varieties are gluten-free except for the Chocolate Stout, the Everyday Cafe & Pub, Beechwood and the Tuckerman Varieties.

Dessert sauces are always a delectable addition to any treat, but the hot fudge and caramel sauce from Van Otis will surely level up any dish. Add either to ice cream, brownies or just to eat with a spoon. The possibilities are endless.

Laurel Hill gourmet jams and jellies contain no hidden extras, such as artificial colors or flavorings. Many of the ingredients used come directly from local farmers markets, which are a great source for excellent-quality local produce grown without the use of pesticides. Popular flavors include Perfect Peach Jam, Pino Grigio Wine Jelly, Marvelous Multi Berry Jam and 19 Crimes Wine Jelly.

The original CAMP MIX is an all-in-one seasoning mixture of garlic, onion, black pepper, salt, white pepper and celery salt. Spud Fixin’ CAMP MIX is a mild blend of seasonings that has tasty possibilities for every style of potato you might prepare. Honey-Cinnamon CAMP MIX is a mouthwatering blend of brown sugar, honey solids and cinnamon that is great on or in apple pies or on top of fruits. The Lemon Pepper CAMP MIX is a special blend of garlic, onion, black pepper and more that was created for those who enjoy a slight “lemony” taste in some of the foods we eat.

The Soup Ladies’ all-natural, easy-to-make soups and pasta salads are the perfect gift for the cook in your life. The Quinoa Medley has the perfect blend of vegetables and grains, but with the addition of chicken, turkey or tofu makes for an even more satisfying meal. Just add water, dressing and a couple of stirs to the No Cook Pasta Salad, and you have a simple meal ready to go. The Split Pea is delicious on its own but tastes even better with diced ham, pancetta or chicken. It also goes perfectly with a slice of toasted bread on the side.