Christmas in a Glass and Fresh Orange Bellinis

In one of Jamie Oliver's cookbooks he has a recipe for a drink called Christmas in a Glass. Essentially it is fresh oranges (mandarins, tangerines, and the like) squeezed into a glass with a sprig or two of fresh mint. The scent of orange and mint is heavenly together and really smells like Christmas. And it tastes absolutely perfect — just like Christmas in a glass.

Last year we discovered Mario Batali's recipe for Blood Orange Bellinis. And again, it is a match made in heaven, although obviously not a drink for the little ones.

This year, on account of not being able to find any blood oranges at Whole Foods, I opted for Minneola oranges (tangelos is the correct term, but really, that sounds absolutely ridiculous). They are a good choice because they yield a lot of juice, but the flavor is really not the same as a blood orange. Maybe we should have dropped a few raspberries into each glass, as that would have been a bit closer. Either way, just remember to make sure the oranges are very cold before pouring the juice into your glass. Otherwise you end up with a room-temperature cocktail, which just seems to cheapen the whole experience. But that is merely my opinion.

So this is what we made Christmas day during nap-time and sipped while we made our feast. Once Emilia was up from her nap she got some freshly squeezed juice and sparkling water in a sippy cup. However, after a few sips she was quite finished. Apparently she does not appreciate it when anything is added to her 'Perrier Drink'. 'More Perrier Drink, please!' is something I typically hear several times throughout the day. And while she may be a girl after my own heart, it would appear that I have created a monster. I mean really, the girl isn't even two.

Christmas in a Glass

A variety of mandarins, tangerines, and clementines (about 5 per person), squeezed

Mint leaves

(Recipe from: Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver, Hyperion Publishing, 2002.)

Blood Orange Bellini

1 bottle prosecco, chilled

2 cups blood orange juice, chilled

Place glasses in the freezer (you are supposed to use champagne flutes, but we used martini glasses) for 20 minutes. Open prosecco and let sit for a few minutes.

Pour ¼ cup blood orange juice into each glass. Top off with prosecco, leaving within ½ inch at the top. Serve. (Recipe from: Holiday Food by Mario Batali, Clarkson/Potter Publishers, 2000.)