Pecans, caramel, chocolate. Name a better combination of flavors. I’ll wait. Americans have been dipping pecans in chocolate and/or caramel for as long as we’ve had reliable access to sugar and cacao.

Sure, a blue box from Tiffany takes your breath away. And a convertible parked in the driveway with a bow on it is, well, hard to top. But sometimes a holiday gift with a handmade quality can mean ...