Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Dessert Lover

By Dominique Chatterjee Wed., Dec. 5 2012 at 7:00 AM

Categories: Dessert First, Gift Guides 2012, Seasonal

Continued from page 1

Flickr: YummyintheTummyblog

Lady M's Green Tea Mille Crepes Cake

Mail-order sweets from Gilt Taste
There's a wealth of excellent places for dessert in the Valley, including Churn and Sweet Republic for ice cream, Cowboy Ciao and noca for incredible pastry chef creations, and even Nami and Treehouse Bakery for vegan treats. But the sweetest things are those we think we can never have. Order the gourmet in your life a world-class dessert, and skip the simple stuff like cookies and quick breads. We recommend Lady M's green tea mille crepes cake, John & Kira's fig tower chocolates with whiskey ganache, and Dulce Caramel Co.'s dark chocolate caramel alfajores.

Turned wood rolling pin from Practical Art
No home kitchen should be without a durable rolling pin. At Practical Art, you can pick up an artisan French-style rolling pin (one solid 22" piece with tapered ends) that's handcrafted from local Mesquite wood. The trees used are naturally felled by desert storms or have been cleared from property, making this practical work of art not only beautiful, but also sustainable. Think about giving this one a little early so your favorite home baker can use it to roll out the dough for their holiday sugar cookies and pies. Only two rolling pins are currently available, so grab one before they're gone!

Tracy Dempsey Original's bacon pecan brittle
This brittle is one of the things that put local dessert queen Tracy Dempsey -- who's currently in charge of the pastries at top spots Citizen Public House, Alchemy at Copperwynd, Karsen's Grill, noca, The Stockyards, and Crudo -- on the map. One part novelty, one part delicious holiday snack, this savory-meets-sweet treat makes an excellent stocking stuffer for any diehard carnivore or curious sugar fanatic. Tracy Dempsey Originals products can be found at Smeeks, Arcadia Farms, Wedge & Bottle, and Changing Hands Bookstore, and orders can be placed by calling 602-376-9021.

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