Local merchants offer tasty confections fit for gifts

Well, we haven't discovered a local source for sugarplums, although you can find them online (www.Zingermans.com; $45 for nine). But just about any other kind of holiday treat one can imagine can be found in local stores, all wrapped up and ready for Christmas.

Last week, we talked about Christmas gifts you can make in your kitchen. This week, we'll talk about Christmas gifts made in other people's kitchens, many of them right here in Southern Nevada. Here are a baker's dozen of choices, some of them suitable for hostess gifts.

■ B Sweet Candy Boutique, Market LV, Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd.

B Sweet sells bulk candy treats including retro candy, Hammond's chocolate bars from Denver, lots of gummies (4-inch gummy bear, $6.50), fresh spun-to-order cotton candy decked out in edible glitter and available in Christmas colors ($5 for a big cloud or $2 for baby size, with a minimum order of 10 of the latter), candy bouquets ($29), chocolate coal, candy buffets for events and hard-to-find candies by special order. Call 501-9711 or visit BSweetLV.com.

■ Bon Breads, Town Square, 6649 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Bon Breads will create baskets by order two to three days in advance ­- anywhere from a bottle of olive oil and one of balsamic vinegar plus a loaf of bread, up to a whole basket of breads, $25 and up. Call 457-7797 or visit www.BonBreads.com.

■ Bread & Butter Las Vegas, 10940 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson

Special orders are welcome and can include pies, cookies, tarts, caramel corn or most any other baked good, from $2 for one cookie up to about $25. Housemade caramel corn is $3 for a half-pound, $5 for a pound. Call 675-3300 or visit www.BreadAndButterLV.com.

■ Chef Flemming's Bake Shop, 7 S. Water St. in Henderson

Chef Flemming will create gift baskets with some notice ($25 to $75) and also offers Northern European holiday treats such as stollen ($12.50) or buche de noel ($18.50). Call 566-6500 or visit www.ChefFlemmings.com.

■ Chocolate & Spice Bakery, 7293 W. Sahara Ave.

Gift boxes at $35 (assorted holiday cookies), $55 (cookies plus peppermint bark and truffles), $100 (cookies, bark, chocolate-dipped candied oranges, truffles, panettone, coffee cake and more) and $200 (lots and lots and lots of goodies) available by order. Call 527-7772 or visit ChocolateNSpice.com.

■ Cupkates by Kate, Market LV, Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd.

Cupkates specializes in mini-cupcakes but also makes the regular size. Holiday flavors are gingerbread, Sticky Fingers (caramel), Red Velvet, pumpkin spice, chocolate and Snickerdoodle. They're $12 a dozen for minis, which are generally in stock, $40 for full size, special order. Call 439-3266 or visit www.CupkatesLV.com.

■ Grandma Daisy's Candy and Ice Cream Parlor, 530 Nevada Highway in Boulder City

Made-to-order boxes and baskets that can include fudge, caramel apples, truffles, toffee, brittle, bark and other hand-dipped chocolates (all housemade) and a line of nostalgic candies, from $5 to $7 for a boxed caramel apple to $50 for an impressive basket. Call 294-6639 or visit GrandmaDaisys.com.

■ Jean Philippe Patisserie, Bellagio and Aria

Broad array of housemade treats ranges from a 1.4-ounce chocolate praline tree ($20) or 5.7-ounce chocolate Santa with a sleigh ($19.50) to a foot-tall chocolate gingerbread house ($95). Call 590-7227 or visit www.JPChocolates.com.

■ Layers Bakery Cafe, 665 S. Green Valley Parkway in Henderson

Cookie platters are $34 (30 cookies) or $63 (60 cookies); holiday-decorated shortbread cookies $2.75 to $3.25, butter spritz cookies $6 for a container of about a dozen, plus housemade biscotti and individually bagged granola and organic coffee beans. Call 221-2253 or visit LayersBakery.com.

■ Popcorn Girl, 1000 N. Green Valley Parkway in Henderson or 8550 W. Charleston Blvd.

Boxes and baskets of popcorn in more than 50 flavors including white-chocolate pretzel, white-chocolate peppermint and red-and-green candy, $6.99 to $39.95 and up. Call 568-0557 (Henderson) or 258-2676 (Summerlin) or visit www.PopcornGirlVegas.com

■ Popped, in Town Square at 6649 Las Vegas Blvd. South and at 9480 S. Eastern Ave.

About 25 flavors of popcorn, including pumpkin spice, peppermint dark chocolate, peppermint white chocolate and You've Been Naughty (a bag of coal), in packages from $3 to $100, with tins starting at $20. Call 998-9234 (Eastern) or 207-0985 (Town Square) or visit PoppedCornShop.com.

■ Whoa! Toffee, available at B Sweet Candy Boutique, Rodworks in Henderson and Summerlin, Elements at the Mirage and a few other locations

English toffee in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate with almonds, dark chocolate with almonds, coffee, butterscotch, peanut butter cup and cookies and cream, $45 for an average basket, up to $70; $5 for a quarter-pound, $9.99 for a half-pound or $19.99 for a pound. Call Julie Littmann at 204-6602 or visit www.WhoaFoods.com.

■ Your Intuitive Forager, Downtown 3rd Farmer's Market, 300 N. Casino Center Blvd.

Baskets, at $50 and $100, can be custom-made with all manner of items from the market. Call Kerry Clasby at (818) 388-1742 or email Kerry@IntuitiveForager.com.

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@review journal.com or 702-383-0474.