Top Gourmet Stocking Stuffers for Foodies

It may weigh down a Christmas stocking like a lump of coal, but HimalaSalt's Zen cube definitely isn't for folks on the naughty list. The 2"x2" hand-carved cube of Himalayan salt has a beautiful rose quartz-like translucence, and its heft and smooth contours feel great in the hand. Finely grated over fish, salads, edamame, and even sweets like caramel, it's a terrific finishing salt. Sustainably hand-harvested from a protected source in the Himalaya's the salt is pure, and clean-tasting. The salt is made with wind and solar energy, and 5% of profits go to environmental causes. Buy online at HimalaSalt.com. Price: $19/Zen Cube with Italian stainless steel grater; $11/Zen Cube refill.

Tsp spices packages premeasured packets of organic herbs and spices in classy little tins. Refills are available. Great for travel, or for newbie cooks who want to taste their way around unfamiliar herbs and spices. Buy online at tspSpices.com. Price: $ 9/12-packet tin; $14/24-packet spice sampler.

Candy canes are one of those de rigueur stocking stuffers that most everyone gives, but few think much about. Remedy that with Zoë's all-natural, old fashioned, hand-pulled candy canes. In the 2009 issue of Saveur Magazine — a publication catering to foodies of the most discerning sort — Zoe's candy canes were hyperbolically dubbed the World's Best," and writer Susan Weinstein declared them "a breed apart." That's high praise for spun sugar, but take one look at the glossy canes, and one taste of the clean peppermint, anise or cinnamon flavors, and you're bound to be hooked. Buy online at ZoesChocolate.com. Price: $17/6; $32/12; $25/Limited edition gift box of 8 .

If you're looking for a posh stocking stuffer, you can't miss with macarons, the very Parisian answer to the sandwich cookie. Beverly Hills-based Paulette Macarons will ship its meringue-based, ganache-filled confections in a slender gift box that's perfect for sliding into the most elegant of Christmas stockings. Opt for an assortment, or customize your flavor choices from a selection that includes Caribbean chocolate, raspberry, Sicilian pistachio, and chestnut, among others. Buy online at PauletteMacarons. Price: $36/24-macaron gift box.

The limited edition holiday teas from Zhena's Gypsy Tea come in sweet decorative tins that are just right for slipping into Christmas stockings. The spot-on blends capture the season's most evocative flavors and aromas: Polar Berry is a spiced black tea-cranberry blend; Santa Spice is a kid-friendly, caffeine-free Rooibos with ginger, nutmeg, and hints of caramel. Organic. Fair-Trade Certified. Buy online at GypsyTea.com. Price: $8

Christmas may well be the unofficial start of hot chocolate drinking season, so why not provision your loved ones with some top-notch drinking chocolate? Spiced drinking chocolates are a little unusual, and make especially good winter warmers après ski or snowman building. Pasilla chile, cayenne, and cinnamon cut the richness and lend a blooming warmth to Chuao Chocolatier's Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate ($15). Dagoba Organic Chocolate's Chai Drinking Chocolate is aromatic with cardamom, star anise, and ginger ($12). And don't miss Gourmet Food Guide Brett Moore's roundup of the Top 9 Drinking Chocolates. P.S. For truly devoted hot chocolate drinkers, a molinillo for frothing makes a great hot chocolate go-with.

Gingerbread cookies are a Christmas classic, but why settle for obedient little ginger people just waiting to have their heads bitten off? Gingerhaus's Runaway Gingerboy Kit produces a cheeky take on the iconic cookie. The baking kit includes gingerbread cookie mix, decorating supplies, and a 5" cookie cutter of a gingerboy on the run. Odds are good the batch of tasty little guys will still lose their heads, but they'll look awfully cute trying to make their escape. Perfect for crafty kids or grown-up bakers with a mischievous streak. Buy online at Gingerhaus.com. Price: $25.