View the winners of the 2014 Editors’ Choice Food Awards — Baked Goods. MACARONS MOOCHIE’S MACARONS Derry, New Hampshire Francophiles, rejoice! After a futile search for authentic macarons, the popular French meringue-based cookies, Nina DiBona Pauk decided to get out her mixer and make her own. When the results proved too tasty to stay a secret, […]
View the winners of the 2014 Editors’ Choice Food Awards — Baked Goods.
MOOCHIE’S MACARONS Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsMACARONS
MOOCHIE’S MACARONS
Derry, New Hampshire
Francophiles, rejoice! After a futile search for authentic macarons, the popular French meringue-based cookies, Nina DiBona Pauk decided to get out her mixer and make her own. When the results proved too tasty to stay a secret, Moochie’s Macarons, named after her Havanese puppy, was born. Colorful, delicate, and available in artful flavors like pistachio, fig, and lavender honey, every bite is delicately sweet and intensely flavored.
Suggested Retail Price: $1.99 to $2.50 per macaron
Where to Find It: Select specialty food stores and cafes throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including D Squared Java in Exeter, NH; City Feed & Supply in Jamaica Plain, MA; online at: moochiesmacarons.comHEAVENLY BITES Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsCAKE BITES
HEAVENLY BITES
Wilton, Connecticut
Cake pops had their moment at the beginning of the decade. Now Mary O’Brien and Joy Gifford have taken the idea a step further, putting a cake-and-frosting filling into little bite-size truffle packages. In flavors like carrot cake, devil’s food, red velvet, lemon drop, and vanilla latte, they’re adorably, addictively delicious.
Suggested Retail Price: $15 per six-pack
Where to Find It: Whole Foods stores in Fairfield County, CT; Village Market in Wilton, CT; Walter Stewart’s in New Canaan, CT; online at: heavenly-bites.comSTONEWALL KITCHEN Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsAGED CHEDDAR BEER CRACKERS
STONEWALL KITCHEN
York, Maine
Sure, you can serve these crackers with sharp cheeses like Cheddar or aged Gouda, but they’re tasty enough to eat right out of the box. The Cheddar adds tang; the beer adds a yeasty, mildly bitter flavor. Think of them as Cheez-its for grownups. The folks at Stonewall recommend crumbling them atop mac-and-cheese, and we can’t argue with that.
Suggested Retail Price: $6.50 per box
Where to Find It: Many specialty food stores; Stonewall Kitchen stores in Camden, York, and Portland, ME; Portsmouth, Nashua, North Conway, and Rochester, NH; Newburyport, MA; South Windsor and Avon, CT; online at: stonewallkitchen.comDANCING DEER Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsMOLASSES CLOVE COOKIES
DANCING DEER
Boston, Massachusetts
Fragrant and chewy, with subtle yet robust sweetness, Dancing Deer’s molasses clove cookies have been a national award-winning favorite of the Boston brand’s gourmet baked-goods line for nearly 20 years.
Made with all-natural ingredients and without preservatives, this classic combination of sugar and spice will keep you coming back for more well into the new year.
Suggested Retail Price: $5.49 per 9 oz. bag
Where to Find It: Specialty shops and supermarkets nationwide; online at: dancingdeer.comBIEN FAIT Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsFRUITCAKE
BIEN FAIT
Greensboro, Vermont
Bien Fait has been handcrafting small-batch fruitcakes in northern Vermont for nearly 20 years. Unlike the leaded, electric-hued loaf of holiday humor, Bien Fait’s fruitcake, in signature bourbon or brandy, comes naturally sweetened and studded with large chunks of fruit and crunchy nuts; its only preservative is a healthy splash of spirits. With a commitment to both quality and community (all of the company’s profits are donated to charity), the cakes are a special treat you’ll want to both give and receive.
Suggested Retail Price: $17 per 1-pound cake
Where to Find It: Specialty stores throughout Vermont; Willey’s Store in Greensboro; Bragg Farms in East Montpelier; Taftsville Country Store; online at: bienfaitcakes.com
Aimee Tucker
As Digital Editor of New England.com, Aimee writes, manages, and promotes content for NewEngland.com and its social media channels. Before this role, she served as assistant, then associate, editor for Yankee Magazine and YankeeMagazine.com, where she was nominated for a City and Regional Magazine Association award for Best Blog. A lifelong New Englander, Aimee loves history, the New Hampshire seacoast, and a good Massachusetts South Shore bar pizza.