This one-pound, traditional assortment (hazelnut-chocolate squares, pecan patties, covered caramels, peanut butter smoothies, nut clusters) is small-batch crafted at Souderton-based Asher's Chocolates' smaller Lewistown, Pa., facility, and packaged in a wooden box decorated with a spray of fragrant dried lavender from Carousel Farms, near Carversville, Bucks County.

- Rick Nichols

Asher's 31-piece assortment, $22.99, Pennsylvania General Store, Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Arch, 215-592-9772 or www.pageneralstore.com.

Sweet by the pound

These fresh-baked, wooden-boxed pound cakes from Sweet! come in banana chocolate-chip, anise and dried cherry, and other flavors, including the delicate lemon-blackberry pictured here. Baker Stephanie Thaw, formerly pastry chef at Friday Saturday Sunday, keeps them moist with organic yogurt, and uses local, organic butter and eggs. She suggests toasting a slice with butter for breakfast.

- Rick Nichols

Sweet! bakery pound cakes, $4.99, at Pumpkin Market, 1610 South St., 215-545-3924 or www.eat-sweet.com.

Bread basket for Mom

Pop this stoneware basket in the oven for 15 minutes before dinner and it will continue to gently radiate heat, keeping your bread warm at the table. Also perfect for displaying fresh fruit. Made for Williams-Sonoma at Eucalyptus Stoneware, a California pottery, it makes a lovely Mother's Day gift.

- Maureen Fitzgerald
Oval stoneware bread basket, $49, at Williams- Sonoma stores or www.williams-sonoma.com.