8 dessert gifts from around the world at Long Island shops

Sweets offer the chance to overcome geographical obstacles with no more effort than it takes to drive to a nearby market. Here's a selection of international confections that should please the adventurous gourmand on your holiday shopping list. 

INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE FROM CHOCOLATE LIBRARY 

If you’re looking for a global chocolate experience, head to Speonk, where Chocolate Library stocks more than 500 chocolate bars from five continents. (Sorry, Australia and Antarctica.) The bars are of the highest quality and most come in exquisite, gift-worthy wrappers. Consider these Mirzam bars from Dubai, $13 to $18. Among the varieties are mango white chocolate, halvah dark chocolate, orange blossom-roasted almond, Kashmiri chili and rose-pistachio falooda.

More info: Chocolate Library is located within Nice Place Coffee, 41 N. Phillips Ave., Speonk, 646-232-4633, Instagram: @niceplacecoffee

INDIAN SWEETS FROM MITHAAS 

For the person in your life with a sweet tooth and a refined aesthetic, may we suggest a gift box of Indian confections? "Burfi" is made from milk, butter and sugar (lots of sugar) that is cooked down until the mixture assumes a fudgelike consistency. It is then flavored with spices such as saffron and cardamom, punctuated by nuts or seeds and, for maximum bling, decorated with edible silver leaf. Craft your own gift box ($25 for 5-by-8 inches; $60 for 8-by-11 inches with a magnetic closure).

More info: Mithaas, 217 Bethpage Rd., Hicksville, 516-605-1230, mithaasusa.com

MACARONS FROM THE FRENCH WORKSHOP 

A colorful rainbow of soft, sweet goodness — that's what on display behind the glass at Nassau's three outposts of The French Workshop (Wantagh, Plainview and Garden City). The macarons here are sublime examples of why the French do dessert like nobody else. Choose from a variety of flavors, including salted caramel, pistachio, strawberry, raspberry, passion fruit, lemon, blue birthday and Nutella. At $2.95 per macaron, a dozen will cost just over $35 and come wrapped in a bakery box fastened by a bow. For Francophiles with a sugar addiction, there's nothing better.

More info: 191 7th St., Garden City, 516-248-6800; 417 S. Oyster Bay Rd., Plainview, 516-408-5666; 1187 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh, 516-240-2433, thefrenchworkshop.com

MATCHA BALL CHOCOLATE FROM HANAMARU MART 

Hanamaru in Syosset is one of our favorite cultural markets on the Island, with its vast selection of Japanese groceries, housewares, sakes, shochu and whiskey. As the holiday season gets closer, it stocks packaged mochi, doriyaki and taiyaki for gifting, which debut after Thanksgiving, but we also love these boxed matcha chocolate balls, which are individually wrapped ($19.99). Vibrant green Uji matcha powder coats small matcha chocolate spheres for an East-meets-West melt-in-your mouth cocoa infusion. Chocolate lovers, tea aficionados, this is the collab you didn't know you needed.

More info: 140 Jericho Tpke., Syosset, 516-921-0600, hanamarumart.us

TURKISH DELIGHT FROM NAZAR 

You'll often find these cubes of gelled sugar in upscale specialty markets. But Turkish delight, or lokum as it's called in Turkey, has been a popular treat since the days of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish grocer Nazar in North Babylon sells multiple varieties for a fraction of the price found elsewhere. Most of the colorful boxes from Istanbul-based sweets maker Hacibaba are $6.99 and come with dozens of the little cubes of purple, orange and green flavors. The jellies can taste of rosewater and are dusted in powdered sugar and stuffed with nuts like pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts.

More info: 1474 Deer Park Ave., North Babylon, 631-586-2246, nazarangoradeerpark.mknxonline.com/order

PANETTONE FROM D'ECAFFÉ

These fruity loaves of sweet bread are an integral part of how Italians celebrate Christmas. But many supermarket varieties can taste stale, so you'll want to get the real deal from D'eCaffé in Long Beach. The loaves come direct from co-owner Francesco Manfredi's brother Domenico, who owns a bakery in Salerno, Italy, and is also a three-time winner at the World Panettone Championship. The 11 varieties are frosted with flavors like pistachio, lemon, chocolate and dulce de leche, and cost $60 or more each. Call to preorder.

More info: 151 E. Park Ave., Long Beach, 516-726-7005, decaffeny.com

CHOCOLATE DOMINOS FROM EL FARM  

Mexico City's Casa Bosques Chocolate domino set is a spectacular way to get into the holiday spirit. El Farm in Southampton, next to Chef Julian Medina's El Verano restaurant, offers these treats to Long Islanders. There are two flavors available, strawberry, which includes freeze-dried strawberries in dark chocolate, and dark chocolate, both available for $50. The lush, golden box holds 28 life-size domino pieces made of chocolate.

More info: 101 Jobs Lane, Southampton, 631-204-5452

PERUVIAN ALFAJORES FROM JESSY'S PASTRIES 

These sandwich cookies made of shortbread with a dulce de leche filling are the perfect way to sweeten up the holidays. The alfajores are $22 and come in boxes of 12. Guests can get  a classic or assorted box. The assorted comes with four flavors: classic, coconut, nutella and rum. The rum infused dulce de leche filling also has checkered powdered sugar.

More info: 3212 Long Beach Rd., Oceanside, 516-665-2226, jessyspastries.com