Mount Mansfield Maple Products Maple Syrup
This incredibly rich syrup has notes of butterscotch, honey and toasted sugar, with a heady base of vanilla and dried fruit. A member of our kitchen team likened its richness to a melted Werther's candy. It’s medium-bodied, which means it can easily be drizzled, but never too watery like store-bought versions. Compared to others, this one has a strong “true maple” flavor to it—nothing like more run-of-the-mill syrups that often have an off pine taste.
Yakami Orchard Yuzu Marmalade
Juicy, flavorful and wonderfully textured Yakami Orchards Yuzu Marmalade is made with fresh, local yuzu from a collective of family farms in Japan’s Miyazaki prefecture. Balanced out with honey and sugar, this yuzu marmalade is bright, tart and warmly sweet with every bite. Just by opening a jar of Yakami Orchards’ product, you’ll be able to smell the bright and subtly floral aroma of yuzu. We love the plentiful chunks of yuzu rind, which are thinly sliced and add texture without making the marmalade clumpy. The yuzu pieces contribute a pop of piney bitterness that is a pleasant counterbalance for the overall sweet spread.
Tastëlanghe Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Spread
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. In their Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Nocciola Dark), those renowned hazelnuts turn into a creamy, rich, sweet dark chocolate spread. Light in texture but deep in flavor, this spread has just a hint of dark chocolate and intense notes of roasted hazelnuts. It’s like Nutella, but less dense, far more flavorful, and with only natural ingredients. Use it to spoon onto ice cream, cakes, cookies, or any baked good or anywhere you would Nutella, spread on toast, or eat straight from the jar!
Shortbread House x Sara Miller Tin - Original
Now available in tins made by British home designer Sara Miller, known for her playful prints. Many store brands lack the rich butteriness of true Scottish shortbread, ending up too gritty or pasty on the tongue, but these treats are truly authentic, handmade from a family recipe. Each one of these classic biscuits is richly buttery and tenderly textured with the perfect amount of crumbliness. Their sweetness is balanced with a hint of salt, while the addition of ground rice gives these cookies a delightfully light and crisp texture. Dare we say, they’re better than homemade.
Hotaru Foods Matcha Milk Jam
Milk jam, like dulce de leche, is a thickened mixture of dairy and sugar. This version has matcha green tea powder mixed into it for a unique and delicious twist. The luxurious and spreadable texture is paired with a slightly grassy aroma that hints at matcha’s earthiness. We love the bright, vegetal, and slightly bitter taste that finishes sweet and nutty. And the beautifully vibrant green color from the matcha doesn’t hurt either.
Il Colle Del Gusto Sicilian Pistachio Spread
Made from Sicilian pistachios and extra-virgin olive oil, Pistacchiosa is a creamy, aromatic spread you will want to put on all your desserts and, yes, eat straight out of the jar.
Haci Bekir Turkish Delight - Assorted Fruit Flavors
From the company that made Turkish delight famous, Haci Bekir, this Turkish delight (lokum) comes in an assortment of fruity flavors. We found these in Istanbul, and they’re the most authentic version of traditional Turkish lokum we’ve been able to get in the States. The jellies are tangy with mellow fruit flavors—the sour cherry, strawberry, apricot and orange reminded us of high-end gummy bears or jelly beans. But their pleasant sweetness isn’t overpowering, unlike American fruit candies or sugary-sweet mass-produced versions of this Turkish classic. You’ll love sinking your teeth into their chewy, supple texture.
Pic's Smooth Peanut Butter
Pic’s Peanut Butter works equally well for classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as it does for baking and cooking. Choose between salted or unsalted—even the salted version has only half the salt of comparable brands. And while not impervious to separating, we find the peanut butter comes together quickly with just a stir or two, as opposed to the vigorous blending required with other versions. It also boasts a shelf stability up to 10 times greater than regular peanut butter. And the peanut butter itself is always made without any added sugar, oil or emulsifiers, so the peanut flavor comes through clearly in both sweet and savory recipes.
Soom Premium Tahini
Many supermarket tahinis are over-roasted, which gives them an unpleasant, bitter flavor. They are also too thick and hard to stir into a creamy blend. Soom's tahini has a full, nutty flavor as well as a pourable and well-balanced texture, made from roasted and pressed premium white sesame seeds that have an ideal oil-to-protein ratio.
Il Colle Del Gusto Arachidella Peanut Spread
Not to be confused with your run-of-the-mill peanut butter, Il Colle del Gusto’s Arachidella Peanut Spread is decadently sweet—elevating the beloved taste of the childhood favorite with the molasses-y depth of caramelized brown sugar. Petite flecks of candied peanut add a toffee-like crunch to every spoonful, while a silken base of extra-virgin olive oil yields a luscious, caramel-like texture. And as we learned from the ever-popular “Nutella,” the Italian suffix “ella” is tacked onto a word to show affection, so there’s no question why it’s used in the name of this divine spread.
Marchesi di San Giuliano Orange Slices in Syrup
We can't get enough of the warm, vibrant flavor of these orange slices in syrup, which our food editor, Matt Card, liken to deconstructed marmalade. To make them, organic blood oranges are hand-picked from the producer's own orchards, sliced finely with the rind still on, then briefly blanched to remove some of their bitterness and carefully layered in jars. The orange slices are covered with a reduction of orange juice, sugar and a touch of brandy—no pectin or artificial sweeteners—which contributes a vanilla-like roundness as well as sugary depth and richness. In addition to their rich flavor, we love the amazing texture of these orange slices, with a wonderful contrast between the silky pulp and surprisingly tender rind, which can be cut through with a fork.
Mymouné Pomegranate Molasses
I discovered this Pomegranate Molasses from Mymouné through a Cambridge restaurant called Moona; the Lebanese company makes all of its products by hand in small batches, and their pomegranate molasses is the sharpest and brightest I have ever tasted. The bottle will last a long time, and it is so much better than the sweeter, less balanced supermarket products. It's a a powerhouse ingredient used throughout the cooking of the Middle East and the Caucasus region that I guarantee you'll love. — Christopher Kimball
Pic's Crunchy Peanut Butter
Fans of chunky peanut butter will love this version from New Zealand. Whereas many chunky peanut butters are just smooth peanut butter with occasional nut pieces, the New Zealand brand has a full mouthfeel, with the right ratio of plentiful crunchy bits to smooth butter for a satisfying consistency with every bite. It also boasts a shelf stability up to 10 times greater than regular peanut butter. And the peanut butter itself is always made without any added sugar, oil or emulsifiers, so the peanut flavor comes through clearly in both sweet and savory recipes.
Il Colle Del Gusto Noccioliva Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Il Colle del Gusto's Noccioliva smooth hazelnut spread is a lighter, glossier and more aromatic version of Nutella. With a high hazelnut content of up to 42%, it is made using local, high-quality roasted nuts from Italy, which are ground down into a silky-smooth texture. This spread makes a wonderful addition to almost any dessert—the olive oil makes it easy to incorporate into pastry cream or any custard base. We also love it for breakfast: Spread it on a crêpe as the French do, slather on toast, or top with fresh sliced fruit.
Tastëlanghe Hazelnut Caramel
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. In their Hazelnut (Nocciola) Caramel, those renowned hazelnuts turn into a creamy, rich, sweet caramelly spread with a hint of salt. Light in texture but deep in flavor, this spread is full of caramel flavor from a mixture of caramelized hazelnuts and milk that is cooked down to perfection. It’s like dulce de leche, but less dense and far more flavorful. Spoon it onto ice cream, cakes, cookies, or any baked good, spread on toast or eat straight from the jar!
Haci Bekir Turkish Delight—Assorted Date and Nut
From the company that made Turkish delight famous, Haci Bekir, these Turkish delights (lokum) come in an assortment of date and nut flavors. We found these in Istanbul, and they’re the most authentic version of traditional Turkish lokum we’ve been able to get in the States. The confection has a pleasant sweetness from dates and sugar that doesn’t overpower—unlike some sugary-sweet, mass-produced versions of this classic Turkish treat. Sink your teeth into its chewy, supple texture—hazelnuts and pistachios add a light crunchiness and clean, simple flavor.
The Toffee Merchant Classic Dark Toffee
The best toffee we’ve tried comes from The Toffee Merchant, a small-batch, award-winning confectioner in Arizona that produces tender, crunchy toffee that won’t break a tooth. Unlike any other toffee we’ve tried, this thick slab breaks easily into flaky pieces. Cooked slowly and using the highest quality ingredients, their Classic Dark Toffee is just the basics—done right. It balances sweet yet dark caramel notes with a buttery mixture of almonds and pecans and rich, dark chocolate. Don’t be surprised if you go through a bag in a day. This stuff is that addictive.
The Toffee Merchant Salted Espresso Toffee
The best toffee we’ve tried comes from The Toffee Merchant, a small-batch, award-winning confectioner in Arizona that produces tender, crunchy toffee that won’t break a tooth. Unlike any other toffee we’ve tried, this thick slab breaks easily into flaky pieces. Cooked slowly and using the highest quality ingredients, their Salted Espresso Toffee packs a punch of coffee flavor into the sweet dark chocolate. Caramel complements buttery pecans and almonds, but just the right amount of espresso powder and a pinch of salt add surprising depth. Don’t be surprised if you go through a bag in a day. This stuff is that addictive.