Sweeten the holidays with treats to give or savor
Following up on last week’s column, the list of Marin food purveyors and artisan sources for holiday meal and gift-giving needs continues with sweets and breads.
Homey jams
What started as a quandary about what to do with a surplus of plums scattered about a suburban garden became a pandemic lockdown pastime of slowly simmering the fruits into jam. It’s now a cottage food business called Homemade Jams from Marin.
Larkspur residents and jam makers Armand Ruiz and Anastasia Komarova have launched a pop-up shop in their hometown, where you’ll find the allnatural micro-batches they make in their nearby kitchen. It’s open until Sunday.
The couple follows a traditional recipe passed down by Komarova’s Russian grandmother that she says instills her with the indelible taste of childhood. The fruits they use are freshly harvested and new flavors are introduced with the season. For now, dip into a jar of strawberry, apricot, plum or orange, with persimmon and grape coming soon.
The jam shop is at 270 Magnolia Ave. and is open this week only from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this weekend. Alternatively and ongoing, arrange for pickup or delivery within a 15-mile radius at california-jams.com.
Cupcake florals
Floral bouquet cupcake baker Sarah Thongnopneua of Baked Blooms, a four-year- old cottage food operation based in her home kitchen in San Anselmo that won her the Food Network’s “Cupcake Championship,” finesses impressive edible arrangements that are wholesomely crafted and intricately embellished.
Choose from seven cake flavors made from scratch — vanilla, chocolate, lemon, coconut, rose, chai and almond — and specify a color scheme and flower designs for customized creations that can serve as gifts, a centerpiece doubling as dessert or just a festive pick-me-up.
Place orders for local delivery or for pickup in San Anselmo at bakedblooms. com. And see her handiwork at instagram.com/ bakedblooms.
Lots of pies
You might never know it, but Sausalito has an under-the-radar pie shop inside home furnishings store Karl the Store at 1201 Bridgeway. Owner Katherine Green’s side gig, Slice of Sausalito, offers an enticing variety of pies with decorative crusts from recipes handed down by her mother in the Midwest.
Flavors change daily and currently include pecan (plain or sweet potato), heirloom blueberry, spiced apple cranberry, organic marionberry, organic Montmorency tart cherry, classic pumpkin, Granny Smith apple and brandy mince pie.
The 5-inch pies are available at the store from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, while supplies last. For 9-inch pies or custom requests, place orders in advance at sliceofsausalito.com. The holiday deadline is Dec. 18. Procrastinators can visit the pie pop-up outside the shop from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24.
Artisan trees
Mill Valley chocolatier Pooneh Yamini of Mon Rêve Chocolate Art Studio is handcrafting and painting 8-inch hollow chocolate Christmas trees that stand on regal display in a clear box along with two gifts bags filled with 21 additional chocolaty treats: peppermint chocolate mendiants topped with crushed candy canes, dark chocolate eclats, milk chocolate golden hearts and chocolate pearls. The first 50 orders receive candied orange peels coated in chocolate. The trees can also be purchased individually.
Place orders at monrevechoc.com. Pick up is available on Dec. 12 and 18 at the studio on the second level of the Mill Valley Lumber Yard at 129 Miller Ave.
Gluten-free sweets
Flour Craft Bakery in Mill Valley and San Anselmo has a line of wholesome, gluten-free holiday cakes (lemon-frosted pistachio, flourless chocolate, gingerbread and orange polenta), buche de Noel and assorted cookies ready for pickup on select dates between Dec. 12 and 31.
The bakery is also working with Novatobased Teeny Cake to offer Hanukkah/winter and Christmas cookie decorating kits that include 10 gluten-free sugar cookies, three bags of royal icing and festive sprinkles.
Go to flourcraftbakery. com to order holiday items and choose to pickup at either 129 Miller Ave. in Mill Valley or 702 San Anselmo Ave. in San Anselmo between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Dec. 12, 19, 23, 24 or 31.
Teeny treats
Give the gift of cupcakes, mini desserts or cookie decorating kits from teeny cake owner and baker Michelle Mahoney, who started her business in 2009 to fulfill the quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake. She has been fine-tuning the art and chemistry of her craft ever since.
Mahoney’s little cakes are made with high- quality, mostly organic and local ingredients. Flavors include chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, confetti, cookies and cream, white chocolate peppermint, gingerbread chai, salted butterscotch, eggnog caramel and vanilla- olive oil sea salt. Purchase an assortment of three in teeny tiny or regular size by the third, half or full dozen.
For the holidays, Mahoney also has 6- or 10inch buche de Noel and two themed mini treat gift boxes that contain cupcakes, bon bons, covered pretzels and a cookie sandwich. A third box has three dozen assorted cookie bites in a gold tin.
Decorate cookies at home with kits that include cookies in your choice of shape, Royal icing and festive sprinkles in three themed kits (cozy and warm, gingerbread winter wonderland or holiday joy). A gluten-free option is available in conjunction with Flour Craft Bakery.
A holiday tea service to-go contains two cranberry orange scones with butter and jam; eight tea sandwiches; a fruit medley; festively decorated mini sweets such as macarons, cupcakes, bon bons and cookies; and four tea sachets from a locally sourced purveyor.
Go to teenycake.com to order and schedule curbside pickup or delivery between noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays or Dec. 12 or 19 for the holiday afternoon tea packages at 7400 Redwood Blvd., or call 415-895-5003 for delivery outside Novato.
Lucky bread
Pastry chef Sarah
Bonar, former pastry chef at San Francisco restaurants Frances and Octavia, who started her neighborhood bread and pastry crafting business, Lucky Penny Bread, in 2018, has a couple of special holiday offerings in store — flourless chocolate cake made with Guittard and Dandelion brand chocolates or stollen levain with toasted walnuts, candied lemon peel, warm spices, dried zante currants, cranberries and apricots.
Place pre- orders starting at 7 p.m. Friday at luckypennybread.com/ shop for pickup on Dec.
24. Chef Bonar will also be offering her regular menu of breads and pastries.
British bakes
Find the Great British Bakes booth at the Thursday Marin Farmers Market where Mill Valley baker Sophia Burton is featuring English mince pies, a traditional treat that dates back to medieval times and has a rich filling of dried fruits, spices and apples.
She’s also offering peppermint meringues and gingerbread cake as well as her regular line found at greatbritishbakes.com. Stop by the market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael or arrange for delivery in Mill Valley.
Rustic goods
Stop by one of four locations or visit Rustic Bakery’s online holiday mercantile for fruit cakes (citrus almond or fruit and nut) and fruit cake crisps; gingerbread tiles and baby cookies; or vanilla snowflake, cinnamon spice and gingerbread mug topper cookies. Or purchase one of the preassembled holiday gift collections with or without a reusable wire basket.
Find the full holiday menu and everyday items including breads, coffees, breakfast, lunch, cheese, desserts, wine, beer and other beverages at rusticbakery.com. Arrange for delivery or pickup at 2017 Larkspur Landing Circle or 1139 Magnolia Ave. in Larkspur; 1407 Grant Ave. in Novato; or 1550 Tiburon Blvd. in Tiburon.
Gingerbread tour
With calendars showing up sparse this typically harried month, check out the COVID-compliant Gingerbread House Competition & Tour in Sausalito. Take a drive around town and get a glimpse of 14 edible structures at the 14th annual event organized by the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
Houses are on display until Dec. 31 at restaurants, cafes, bakeries, hotels, galleries, businesses and shops. For a full list of stops, instructions on remotely voting and a downloadable, printable illustrated map, go to sausalito.org/gingerbreadhouse