Holiday Recipe Round-Up + Cranberry Mimosas

It’s the time of year when everybody’s looking for delectable, doable recipes to brighten up holiday parties and meals. Here you’ll find a handy round-up of my favorites, starting with this tempting new recipe for cranberry mimosas. If you’re planning to host a festive occasion this season, and want an easy way to add pizzazz, consider serving these. Or tuck them in your easy entertaining ideas file to turn to later.

Cranberry mimosas are bright and zesty, and most people find them a delightful change of pace from the usual orange juice and sparkling wine mimosas. They are particularly nice as a starter for a fancy breakfast, brunch, or luncheon. They are a treat as is or served as shown in the photos, topped with several small scoops of a complementing sorbet and presented as a cranberry mimosa punch. You can even make a non-alcoholic version by subbing lemon-lime soda for the sparkling wine. (For a calorie counting crowd, choose a diet lemon-lime soda if desired.)

To create the punch, add a little scoop or two of sorbet to each mimosa. These will be a bit sweeter and more substantial than regular mimosas and make perfect accompaniment to a dessert party or sweets buffet. Alternatively, for a crowd, prepare enough servings to fill a punch bowl, and float scoops of sorbet and orange slices on top. Then, add a ladle and set out cups or cocktail glasses so guests can help themselves.

If you like, brighten your cranberry mimosas simply with fresh mint sprigs or orange slices. Or go all out and garnish with cocktail skewers threaded with orange wedges and whole fresh cranberries. (These can be readied completely ahead and refrigerated.)

Th cranberry-orange mimosas in the photos are topped with the homemade cranberry sorbet posted here. But scoops of high-quality purchased orange or raspberry sorbet will work equally well. Just whisk in the sorbet scoops until they barely begin to melt. Serve the individual drinks or set out the punch bowl immediately. Make as many servings as desired at once–just keep in mind that the sparkling wine will loose its fizz if allowed to stand a long time.

For an 8-ounce (medium-sized) cranberry mimosa or mimosa punch serving:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) well-chilled cranberry juice cocktail

4 ounces (1/2 cup) well-chilled sparkling white wine (your choice), or substitute lemon-lime soda for an alcohol-free drink)

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 small scoops orange, raspberry, or cranberry sorbet, optional

A mint sprigs, or orange slice, or fresh cranberries and orange wedges threaded on a cocktail skewer for garnish

At serving time, lightly stir together the cranberry juice, wine, and orange juice in a 10- to 12-ounce cocktail glass or tumbler. If adding sorbet, float two small scoops on top; muddle briefly; then add garnish if using. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.

More Festive Recipes

Here are some of my other holiday recipes that have been very popular on my blog and at home at Kitchenlane. Just click on the name to view each dish. Additionally if you’re making rolled or cut-out cookies this season, I suggest you check out my well-received youtube video here for some very helpful and clever tips.

Cranberry-Orange Sorbet