Christmas Eve & Spices
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Wine Pairing: Spiked Hot Apple Cider
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Dinner: Herb-roasted turkey breast with orange cranberry sauce, served alongside apple stuffing. This classic holiday meal is a crowd pleaser! The orange in the cranberry sauce echoes both the cider's citrus notes and the candle's bright top notes, while the apple stuffing complements the fragrance's spiced apple character.
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Dessert: Cranberry & Orange Panna Cotta
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Why it works: The apple notes in both the candle and cider create perfect harmony, while cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg appear identically in the fragrance and spiced drink. Orange peel in Christmas Eve & Spices matches the citrus brightness in both cider and cranberry sauce, while the candle's vanilla base complements the cider's warming sweetness, capturing the essence of traditional holiday celebrations.
Classic Hot Spiked Apple Cider
Ingredients
8 cups apple cider
1 cup bourbon (or rum)
4 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
½ teaspoon whole cloves
Garnishes: star anise, cinnamon stick, and orange slices
Instructions
Toast spices: Place the cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves in a large pot over medium heat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
Simmer cider: Pour the apple cider into the pot. Bring the mixture to a low simmer (do not let it boil). Reduce the heat and continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes to let the spices infuse (or keep on low in a crock pot!).
Strain and serve: Carefully strain the cider into another pot or directly into mugs to remove the spices. Stir in the bourbon.
Garnish: Ladle the spiked cider into mugs and garnish with a fresh cinnamon stick, a star anise pod, or an orange slice.
Cranberry & Orange Sauce (for Roasted Turkey)
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
Instructions
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Gather all ingredients.
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Combine sugar and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar is dissolved.
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Mix in cranberries; cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries start to pop, about 10 minutes.
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Transfer to a bowl; sauce will thicken as it cools.
Dessert: Cranberry & Orange Panna Cotta
Ingredients
Neutral flavored nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 (0.25-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons orange zest, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Compote
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries (rinsed and squishy ones discarded)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
Spray six 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour orange juice in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin; mix well. Set aside.
Stir together the heavy cream, half-and-half, and orange zest in a saucepan over low heat. Add sugar, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved completely. Heat mixture slowly, stirring frequently until it is just about to boil, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk gelatin mixture and vanilla extract into the cream mixture until well blended and gelatin is completely dissolved. Keep lightly whisking until the mixture comes close to room temperature, about 10 minutes. This will prevent the gelatin and cream from separating while the panna cotta is setting.
Divide mixture into ramekins, about 1/2 cup per portion. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours (or overnight).
While the panna cotta is chilling, prepare the cranberry compote. In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved (about 3 minutes).
Reduce heat to medium and allow the mixture to boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the orange zest. Cook for 1-2 more minutes to thicken (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve the panna cotta, run a knife around the inside edges of the ramekin to remove panna cotta from the ramekins (the knife might not be necessary if you can see that the panna cotta is easily sliding within the ramekin). If it seems like it isn't coming loose easily, carefully dip each ramekin into a bowl of hot water for a few seconds. Carefully invert onto serving plates, tap, and jiggle the ramekin a bit if needed for the panna cotta to come loose. Top with the cranberry compote and sprinkle with additional orange zest for garnish.
