A Box of Status Shortbread
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
I’ve long said food is one of the best gifts you can give during the holidays, especially to those who are otherwise hard to shop for. But thereisan artistry to doing this well. The wrong present will make your recipient feel like an afterthought, whereas the right one will make them feel considered.
To me, the requirements — beyond that the item actually tastes good, of course — are that it isn’t something you can find at a regular grocery store and that the presentation goes above and beyond. Ideally, it’s something they haven’t heard of before and can savor right out of the packaging. Nothing fits the bill more than Laurie Ellen Pellicano’sshortbread cookies(and, notably, her two savory offerings:Everything Cheddar CrackersandHerb & Urfa Chili-Spiced Nuts).
The baker — an alum of San Francisco’sTartine Bakerywho started out solo in 2020 and now has a small team working out of a kitchen in Brooklyn — is truly so talented. Her treats have an air of being homemade but are more elevated than anything you’re likely to whip up in your own kitchen. They’re gorgeous in shape and color, with the ingredients noticeably dotted in the dough, and they don’t look mass manufactured. They’re buttery and rich, yet somehow still light. They snap when you bite into them and melt in your mouth. There are layers of flavor, which often involve fruits, nuts, chocolate, spices, and even spirits.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Recently, the Strategist team set them out at aSecret Strategistevent, and senior editorWinnie Yangreported back: “I was pleased but completely unsurprised by all the comments I heard from guests: ‘Whatarethese cookies? They are so good!’ ‘Who makes these?’ ‘I can’t stop eating these!’”
Pellicano relies on top-tier ingredients from other brands that I love and anyone who appreciates good food is likely to recognize: Beurremont butter, Ronnybrook Farm milk, Burlap & Barrel and Diaspora Co. spices, Heilala vanilla, Catskill Provisions honey, Valrhona chocolate, and more. She has some standbys: the two savory snacks, as well asChocolate Orange ShortbreadandLemon Poppy Seed Shortbread. Otherwise, her treats are seasonal, which makes them feel very of-the-moment and therefore especially giftable. Right now, that includesPanettone Shortbread Buttons,Chocolate Cherry Shortbread, andGingerbread Shortbread.
They last an impressively long time (eight months) with no stabilizers. Pellicano tells me this is simply thanks to their naturally low water content and shelf-stable ingredients. “The cookies lose their vibrancy before they truly spoil,” she says. But that shouldn’t be a problem — they’re so good, they’re unlikely to be around past New Year’s.
More gift-worthy sweets
More From The Strategist
- The Back-to-School Hall of Fame
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- Everything You Need to Outfit Your College Dorm
- The Strategist Summer 100
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
