The child in all of us still craves cupcakes—but adults will especially enjoy a dozen from Sift Cupcake & Dessert Bar (winners of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars). The bakery is based on the West Coast, but it does a brisk mail-order business, offering unusual flavors like Battle Royale (almond cake with blueberry-tequila filling and açaí berry–cream cheese frosting). A dozen cakes arrive frozen but defrost to fresh-baked flavors. siftcupcakes.com  ; from $36  

The classic combo goes gourmet in this taster set. Packaged in a reusable tote, the stash contains two flavors of decidedly grownup jam (past blends include Blueberry Bourbon and Blood Orange Marmalade), a jar of Chia Nut Butter and a semi-healthy (OK, not really) chocolate bar made with raspberry pâtede fruit and peanut butter. newyorkmouth.com; $40 

Stay wired—but look retro—with these high-tech (and so cute!) earmuffs by Cityslips. The faux-fur muffs connect to your iPod or smartphone and feature built-in speakers, an in-line microphone and volume control. neimanmarcus.com; $50

Know a baseball fanatic? These jerseys and caps from Ebbets Field Flannels are faithful replicas of professional baseball gear from 1900 to 1970, boasting authentic details like sleeve patches and wool-flannel fabric. More than 400 team jerseys and two dozen caps are on offer—or you can place a custom order. ebbets.com; $40–$195

Rekindle the romance of handwritten correspondence with vintage stamps from the Postage Service, themed to days gone by (our favorite: stamps that pay homage to the American woman). The packs each contain three to five stamps that total an average of 50 cents, so they can be used to mail a first-class letter anywhere in the U.S. See more like this at etsy.com; from $2.50

For anyone who devoured E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey series, now there’s the pseudonymous F.L. Fowler’s Fifty Shades of Chicken. A genuine cookbook as well as a parody, it contains 50 breast-to-thigh recipes, such as Mustard-Spanked Chicken and Holy Hell Hot Wings—all with a side of smut. amazon.com; $20

Family-run design studio COATT will string 14k gold dot-and-dash Morse code messages on delicate silk cords cut long enough for either a bracelet or a necklace. The code’s content is up to you: Choose to spell out a name, a monogram or a thoughtful phrase that has special meaning to you and yours. coattonline.com; from $200

Set up a golf-obsessed giftee’s game with Celestron’s CoursePro GPS device. Synched to a database of 22,000 greens online (most U.S. courses are included), the gadget can store personalized hazard maps, shot distances and scorecard info for up to 100 courses. Plaid pants and country club membership not included. amazon.com; $150

Have a friend or close family member who collects Hermès’s covetable enamel bracelets? Well, this season the French luxury brand is introducing four supersize models (two are shown) featuring Brazilian feather art. Wear one or stack a pair for maximum impact; Wonder Woman would approve.  See more like this one at hermes.com; $780–$910

The debonair designer’s glossy nail lacquer earned raves from More and the beauty blogosphere when it launched last fall. Now you can bestow on your most fashion-conscious friend 16 high-shine hues in one limited-edition set, from on-trend neutral Naked to the line’s best-selling burgundy, Bitter Bitch. neimanmarcus.com; $480

Know someone pretty serious about her morning java? Well, you can keep her happily caffeinated by hooking her up with a subscription to Craft Coffee. Each month the service will ship three varieties of freshly roasted coffee beans to her door; each blend is chosen by a panel of coffee experts. craftcoffee.com; from $20 a month

Thinking of gifting autographed memorabilia—but fear ending up with a fake? Steve Cyrkin, publisher of Autograph Magazine, helps you track down the real deal.

• Avoid casinos and tourist spots. Autographs are best shopped for online, says Cyrkin, because you can compare prices and elicit opinions from community boards.

• Look for autographs certified by reliable authentication services like the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA; psacard.com) and James Spence Authentication (JSA; spenceloa.com).

• For musician autographs, try the Grammy Charity Online Auctions (grammy.com).

• For autographed sports memorabilia, seek out companies that host licensed signings, like Steiner Sports (steinersports.com) and Tri-Star Productions (tristarproductions.com).

North Carolina artist Karen M. O’Leary creates intricate, hand-cut paper maps of meaningful locations: your loved one’s childhood house, wedding site, college address or dream destination. Because the map creation can take several weeks to complete, order early. studiokmo.etsy.com; from $75

The chic, antique look of Alex & Ani’s etched initial bangles belies their Secret Santa–worthy price point. Stack three with a first, middle and last -initial—or, for a mother or grandmother, get a bracelet adorned with the first letter of each child’s or grandchild’s name. nordstrom.com; $24 each

Save sweets lovers from a gingerbread overdose with Milk & Cookies design-your-own dozen. Select a base batter (chocolate, oatmeal, sugar, etc.), then add exotic mix-ins like cappuccino chips or dried fruit. Fresh batches are shipped in the U.S. within two days. milkandcookiesbakery.com; from $28

A tech-savvy gift without the sharp edges, Labexperiment’s encoded pillow is printed with QR codes that reveal a custom message (supplied by you) when scanned by a smartphone. Bonus: Each pillow has its own activation number, so the text can be changed at will by the owner. aldeahome.com; $150

The Canadian watchmaker May 28th’s cheery plastic watch faces are tailored to a range of hobbies, from travel to handicrafts. Choose an existing style or design an InstaWatch, printed with your own Instagram photo. may28th.me; from $39

Kate Middleton might arrange for a painting of her prince, but for non­royals there are less formal ways to celebrate a loved one’s interests or image.

• Smudge Design’s “My Favorite Things” puzzle-like print can be personalized by putting the names of your recipient’s loves, such as Paris or an adored pet, into the art. From $75; minted.com

• Artist Jane Mount’s Ideal Bookshelf gouache and ink paintings depict the spines of the recipient’s most meaningful tomes. Choose the titles yourself or go the gift card route, which allows her to customize. From $250; idealbookshelf.com

• Richard Haines, the fashion illustrator behind the popular street-style blog What I Saw Today, will be accepting commissions for custom black-and-white or watercolor portraits. Price on request; haines.richard@gmail.com

Next: Holiday Picks From Calypso St. Barth

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