One more week to go until December. The Silly Season. Frivolous and fun. End of year celebrations go hand in hand with thank yous and tokens of appreciation. Gift giving shouldn’t be a chore. I’m on the look out for what I like to think of as bijoux foodie gift ideas. Small, dainty, elegant, highly prized and inexpensive.

I love a handmade or home-baked gift. Unfortunately they’re not always practical. I well remember the year I posted out perfectly formed, lovingly baked chocolate fruit cakes. Delicious but squashed in transit by Australia Post. Definitely a case of it’s the thought that counts that year.

I adore confetti. Not the paper  variety. The edible confection. Delicious, delicate sugared almonds.  A sweet little treat synonymous with Italian celebrations and bomboniere. A symbol of sweetness, peace and hope of a happy life. My idea of a perfect bijoux foodie Christmas gift.

When I say confetti I’m not referring to just any old confetti available at any good delicatessen or market. I’m talking about Dolci Sapori’s Confetti. Flavoured Almonds with a Twist. Fine Sicilian Avola almonds. Wrapped in a thick layer of flavoured chocolate. Encased in a thin, crisp sugar-coating. Created by skilled Italian artisans. Following centuries old traditions. So moreish they’re dangerous. One bite. I was hooked. So much so I ate a whole box. Thank you Grace. My waist line really needed that. How am I supposed to look fabulous at the beach this summer?

All jokes aside, Grace is the ultimate closet confetti aficionado. She tracked these down for her son’s recent confirmation. She promised me a few to try but using our sons as the conduit for the exchange was not a great idea. That particularly elusive pack of  confetti never reached me. Perhaps eaten by one of our sons in transit or even sold on the thriving black market to a starving boarding school community. We’ll never know.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Grace put me in contact with the lovely Rosanna at Dolci Sapori Imports in Melbourne, Victoria. Rosanna was kind enough to send me a package. Here is what was inside.

Dolci sapori. From the Italian. Translates as sweet flavours. How very apt.  These chocolate flavoured almonds have a crisp thin sugar shell and come in an amazing  range of flavours. I sampled twelve of them with relish. Truth be told I’m working through the rest of my hoard as I type this post. Baba with Cream, Caramel and Fleur de Sel, Delicious Lemon, Coconut, Croissant, Lemon, Les Noisettes , Pistachio, Sfogliatella Napoletana, Strawberry, Tiramisu and Fruits of the Forest Yoghurt. They’re all so unbelievably delicious but if you twist my arm I may confess my two stand out favourites would have to be the Strawberry and Caramel and Fleur de Sel.

Sadly as this product is so very new to the market there are only limited stockists in Sydney.  But happily there is a website. Most of the product is available in bulk 500 g or 1 kilogram quantities only. By flavour. Pricing ranges from $35 for 500 g – $60 for kilo boxes. If you are curious to try these sugared almonds  the Christmas tins filled with an assorted five flavours; Fruits of the Forest Yoghurt, Lemon, Coconut, Pistachio and Croissant  are available on-line at www.dolcisaporiimports.com.au over the festive season. At $24 per tin. A perfectly reasonable bijoux price.

Let’s extend this very bijoux foodie idea. For those of you who love to give a handmade gift, pick a flavour or two or three and order them in bulk. Package them up in cellophane, pretty boxes and tins or even those clear plastic reusable Christmas baubles that can be hung from a tree. Cooks bonus?  You get to eat all the leftover confetti. Yum. Yum.

Here are the all important contact details.

Visit the website at   www.dolcisaporiimports.com.au
or email rosanna@dolcisaporiimports.com.au