Baked Goods | 2014 Editors’ Choice Food Awards

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, 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.com

CAKE 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.com

AGED 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.com

MOLASSES 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.com

FRUITCAKE
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