12 Tastes of Christmas :: Sarah’s Fruity Bellini

As the countdown to Christmas gets shorter, we naturally turn to the cozy and familiar, so for our last two editions of 12 Tastes of Christmas we’ve invited two of our regular contributors to share what they’ll be serving on their holiday tables this year. Today, Sarah Yates plays bartender, pouring up bubbly glasses of her raspberry-mango bellinis for her cozy Christmas Day celebration. Since I’m hosting Christmas morning brunch for our families this year, I’m paying especially close attention — there’s nothing like a festive champagne cocktail to get the day started right! From Sarah:
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Let me begin by saying that Christmas is my absolute most favorite day of the year. I start getting excited for it in October and the anticipation builds until I can barely sleep on Christmas Eve. There’s just nothing about it I don’t love! Since we live far away from our immediate families my husband and I married traditions from both of our histories to create our own, magical Christmas day. And it’s the traditions I always look forward to the most.

We start our morning bright and early (because I’m like a 4 year old on Christmas morning and I pop out of bed as soon as the sun comes up!). We open stockings and presents, listen to Christmas music and watch the dogs play with their new toys. It is the epitome of cozy. And then for my favorite part- I make champagne cocktails while my husband makes Patacones, a fried plantain recipe straight from Colombia. We drink and eat until we’re exhausted and stuffed, then crawl back into bed for a long nap. It’s just the best morning ever, the perfect combination of love and indulgence, old traditions and new. I’m excited to share the recipe for this champagne cocktail we’ll be enjoying this coming Christmas morning: a mango and raspberry champagne Bellini. Hope you love!