See the tree, but don't miss Magnolia Bakery.

• Position: WHAT'S NEW? Holiday Gift Guide

It soon will be Christmastime in the city, and hordes of tourists--joined by native New Yorkers--will be making their way to Rockefeller Center to see the famed tree. Yet, there also will be a stampede to another NYC hotspot--Magnolia Bakery. If treating yourself to delicious holiday indulgence is on your wish list, you've come to the right place on Broadway. Magnolia serves more than 120 varieties of classic American baked goods to patrons from around the world. Its bakers make fresh, handmade desserts throughout the day, including pies, cakes, cheesecakes, muffins, cookies, creamy banana pudding, and wedding cakes.

For those who cannot make the journey, all of the scrumptious items on Magnolia Bakery's holiday menu can be shipped nationwide. We started with the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Assortment ($125). It contains six each of peppermint miniature meringues, snowballs, chocolate wafer whoopies, shortbreads rolled in red and green sanding sugar, shortbreads dipped in chocolate with festive nonpariels, gingerbread, crinkles, macaroons, miniature cranberry chocolate chunk, snicker-doodle, and chocolate chunk and sugar. Wow!

We weren't done, however...