For the second year in a row, Niko’s Bakery & Cafe’s Amoretti Cookies will be featured in the Kentucky Advent Calendar created by Delicious Food Delivered. The gift box features 24 hand-picked, locally sourced foods that highlight Kentucky-specific businesses. A limited number of boxes are available, although Niko cookies can be purchased daily from the bakery.
Niko owner Matt Weafer said Delicious Food Delivered reached out to the bakery in summer 2022 for last year’s box.
“They asked for something that represented us as a company, so they left it up to us. We chose the Amoretti cookie. This is one of my favorite cookies. It is a classic Italian cookie and is designed to last for a long time. It is an almond flour cookie and is quite traditional for Christmas time. We fill them with apricot jam and they are really good,” said Weafer.
Weafer said they were honored to be selected again to represent Kentucky.
“That’s great. It’s a small piece of recognition that gets our name out there in the state,” he said. “We’re honored and humbled at the same time because they could call almost anyone.”
Niko’s also sells a lemon and chocolate version of the cookie. Weafer said cookies are available every day of the year.
Niko’s is the only Owensboro business featured in the Kentucky Gift Box. The box costs $159 and is available here. All Advent Calendar items are non-perishable and require no refrigeration once you receive the box. Kentucky’s pack includes:
- Elmwood Inn’s (Danville, KY | 4 Tea Bags)
- Yankee Doodle Deli (Covington, KY | Zolo 4 Pack)
- Whelpdale Chocolate (Louisville, KY | Buttons in a Bag)
- Kentucky Chocolate Co. (Louisville, KY | Chocolate Cups)
- Grateful Grahams (Newport, KY | 1.6 oz bag Graham Crackers)
- Louisville Vegan Jerky (Louisville, KY | 3 Oz. Vegan Jerky)
- Muth’s Candies (Louisville, KY | Horseshoe Molded Chocolate)
- Kentucky Nut Corp, (Hickman, KY | 2 Oz. Muchin Pecans)
- Rebecca Ruth (Frankfort, KY | 2 Bourbon Balls)
- Ruth Hunt (Mt. Sterling, KY | Blue Monday Bar)
- Bauer’s Candy (Lawrenceburg, KY | Modjeskas)
- Made by Mavis (Covington, KY | Mini Jar Honey Pear Jam)
- Sweet Ace Cakes (Fort Thomas, KY | Schlurpy Hot Chocolate with Schmallow)
- Laughing Bees Honey (Covington, KY | Honey Rice Krispie)
- Chocomania (Georgetown, KY | 2 Truffles)
- Niko’s Bakery (Owensboro, KY | 3 Amaretti Cookies)
- South 4 Farms (Scottsville, KY | 2 Pack Maple Candy)
- Bourbon Bon Bons (Lexington-Fayette, KY | 2 Bon Bons)
- Bourbon Barrel Foods (Louisville, KY | 0.5 oz tin Mint Julep Sugar)
- Mandies Candy (Burnside, KY | 2 Chocolate Covered Oreos)
Delicious Food Delivered is run by Theresa Nemetz and her team, the same group behind Milwaukee Food & City Tours and Chicago Food Tours.
“When the pandemic shut down everything in 2020, creating delicious, locally sourced advent calendars not only saved our travel agency, but saved hundreds of other small businesses and food producers with some much-needed income,” Nemetz said in a statement on the company’s website. .
Their first box was the Delicious Wisconsin box and it sold out in 48 hours. The company rebranded its gift box business in 2021 and expanded to now supply unique advent calendars for several states. (See all available boxes here.)