Quick, what are the holidays all about? Foremost, of course, is their religious significance. Then there’s the annual gathering of friends and loved ones, plus the inevitable gift giving and receiving.

Crass as it may seem, the Christmas season also is the ideal time to indulge your family’s collective appetite, especially its sweet tooth. Who can resist the sundry cookies, cheesecakes, lemon bars, apple, pumpkin and banana cream pies, the hard candies, the chocolates, traditional holiday breads and my oh my what else?

Following is a roundup of readily available Columbia-Pacific region sweet treats and specialty breads that you might serve this holiday season.

Sweet somethings

Anna Lena’s

111 Bolstad Ave. E., Long Beach, Wash.

(360) 642-8585

www.annalena.com

Sure, this downtown Long Beach establishment is a quilting emporium, with 2,500 bolts of fabric, plus hundreds of books and patterns. But Anna Lena’s is justly renowned for its 20 or so varieties of fudge, particularly a quartet of cranberry fudges ($10.99/pound). Regular, cranberry-nut and chocolate-cranberry are made with fresh berries; Cranberry Delight is a vanilla fudge infused with dried berries. Best of all, you can sample before purchasing.

Bruce’s Candy Kitchen

256 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

(503) 436-2641

www.brucescandy.com

In addition to the 21 flavors of homemade taffy, the caramel corn, the bin after bin of hard candies and the trays of chocolates, you’ll find a trio of hand-dipped caramel apples at this 40-year-old sweet-tooth’s haven painted pink and white. No small nosh, these candied concoctions ($9.95 each) weigh almost two pounds apiece. Each is dipped in caramel, rolled in either English toffee, chocolate chips or whole cashews, then drizzled with gooey-good dark, white and milk chocolate. Challenge anybody at your holiday gathering to take just one bite.

Cannon Beach Cookie Company

239 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

(503) 436-1129

Few people can finish one of the prodigious Christmas cookies ($3.25 each) baked at this cozy downtown hangout. No wonder: Each of these cream-cheese sugar cookies topped with seasonal sprinkles is the size of a dinner plate.

Phillips Candies

217 Broadway, Seaside

(503) 738-5402

Talk about an institution: Seaside’s beloved sugar shack has been in business for more than a century. Any of the 14 flavors of taffy($5/pound) always are a holiday pleaser, particularly among the younger set. But Phillips is best known for its assortment of chocolate creams, chewy caramels, peanut clusters and standout truffle mints, all crafted with a proprietary Swiss milk chocolate ($12.40/pound).

Columbia Chocolates

1332 Commercial St., Astoria

(503) 325-6152

www.astoriabusiness.com

(click on “Columbia Chocolates”)

Peppermint fudge ($1.75/two pieces) and peppermint bark ($3.50/four pieces) are favored seasonal confections at this chocolate treasure trove housed inside a business-supply store. A couple spoonfuls of cinnamon-mocha mix ($3/package) in their after-dinner cup of coffee will provide your guests with a welcome Christmas day jolt.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

1111 N. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside

(503) 738-2125

Soft and fluffy nectarean delicacies called Divinities ($12.90/pound) are one of the seasonal sensations at this chocolate mart within Seaside’s outlet mall. Fudge comes in different flavors, including chocolate-mint, penuche (made with brown sugar) and raspberry-truffle (all $10.90/pound).

Ambrosial breads

Lots of bakeries showcase holiday loaves. Home Baking Company (2845 Marine Drive, Astoria, (503) 325-4631) has been offering Finnish specialty breads for 93 years. Look for a braided cardamon loaf ($4.25) and Julekage, a round wheat bread laced with cardamon, raisins and candied cherries ($2.25).

The Ark Restaurant (273rd Street and Sandridge Road, Nahcotta, Wash., (360) 665-4133) sells bread with an attitude. A Northwest Dried Fruit and Nut Loaf (also known as “This is not a fruit cake!” – $4.50) contains four types of nuts, plus dates, apricots and such.

Danish Maid Bakery (1132 Commercial St., Astoria, (503) 325-3657) is acclaimed for its Tom and Jerry mix ($3 pint, $5.50 quart) and hot-buttered rum ($2.89 half quart), both guaranteed to spice up any holiday gathering. Pumpkin ($1.99), banana-nut ($1.99) and cranberry-nut breads (2.99) are likewise much-touted.

Available only on Fridays, the egg- and butter-rich challah (3.50), a traditional Jewish loaf, is worth seeking out at Home Spirit Bakery Cafe (1585 Exchange St., Astoria, (503) 325-6846).

Dense, rich stollen fashioned with almond paste and candied fruit ($6.95) and Scandinavian-inspired pepper cookies and licorice-flavored anise cookies ($4/dozen) are house specialties at Harrison’s Bakery (608 Broadway, Seaside, (503) 738-5331 and 7 Broadway, Seaside, (503) 717-4399).

The date crullers ($.60 each, $6.95/dozen) at Cottage Bakery (118 S. Pacific Highway, Long Beach, (360) 642-4441) are shaped with buttery dough and cottage cheese, spread with date jam and diced walnuts, then rolled thin and dusted with powdered sugar. Another favored holiday concoction is the bakery’s Brick Oven fruit cake ($5.95/pound) infused with candied cherries, pineapple, almonds, walnuts and other tasty tidbits.

At Bread and Ocean (387 Laneda Ave., Manzanita, (503) 368-5823), you can order stollen specked with dried pears and apricots ($8/three-pound loaf), a huge four-pound challah ($10) and, for your canine company, freshly baked dog biscuits ($.75 to $1.50).

Let them eat cake

Costco Wholesale

180 S.E. Neptune Ave., Warrenton

(503) 861-1948

This region’s largest-volume bakery, by far, is at Costco, where you’ll find the consummate bang-for-the-buck pumpkin cheesecake ($12.99). This 75-ounce super-creamy colossus is ringed with whipped cream and available with or without “Happy Holidays” scrolled across the top in red and green icing. No matter how you slice it, you and the guests are in for about a jillion calories with every piece. But after all, the holidays are a time to celebrate and let your belt out a notch or two.

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 or phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com