Running out of ideas to make this Christmas extra special? Fear not! Luxury Lifestyle Magazine has you covered with a host of epicurean delights that befit even the choosiest of stocking recipients.
Joe & Seph’s Brandy Butter Popcorn
We’re obsessed with these gourmet popcorn pouches from start-up sensation, Joe & Seph’s – a family run business based in London. With over fifty flavours to choose from, there’s sweet and savoury, classic and just plain weird (blue cheese with walnut and celery, we’re talking about you!), as well as a whole selection of Christmas specials. Gingerbread, Mince Pie and Brandy Butter all make for deliciously moreish stocking fillers, while their range of caramel sauces can be drizzled on ice cream or just spooned straight from the jar.
Heston Blumenthal hidden clementine Christmas Pudding
Known for his quirky creations and daring flavour combinations, wiz-kid chef and restaurateur Heston Blumenthal’s Waitrose products are the perfect stocking filler for fine dining lovers. Our favourite is the hidden orange Christmas pudding, which famously sold out so quickly a couple of Christmases ago that puddings subsequently went for hundreds of pounds on EBay. Their new mini edition is perfectly stocking-sized, and so much more exciting than a squishy old tangerine.
Kusmi Tea
Calling all tea lovers: if you haven’t yet sampled the delights of Parisian brand Kusmi Tea, get involved now for the perfect Christmas morning brew. We love their loose-leaf BB Detox for curing a hangover; Kashmir Tchai for warming up on a frosty morning; and vanilla spiced Prince Vladimir Earl Grey for a post-Christmas feast cuppa. Their charming gift set assortments are perfect for finding your favourite blend.
Ombars
Suitably stocking sized, these little bars of raw, 100% organic chocolate are virtuous, indulgent and beautifully packaged. With all-natural ingredients and unrefined coconut sugar, this is chocolate you can feel good about eating on Christmas morning! Flavours range from blueberry & acai to silky smooth coco ‘mylk’, and their range also includes bags of dark chocolate buttons.
Christmas Morning Cereal
Dessert extraordinaire, Cronut creator and recently nominated World’s Best Pastry Chef, Dominique Ansel is the first and last word in sugary delights, which of course is what Christmas morning is all about. His latest Willy Wonker invention, Christmas Morning Cereal, brings out the gleeful child in all of us: Puffed rice granola finished with Valhrona chocolate, miniature cinnamon meringues and whole candied hazelnuts. No more cornflakes for us.
Turmeric and Ginger Oatys
Even the most hardened chocoholics can need a bit of a break from Christmas confectionary! And these soft, earthy biscuits are packed with calming turmeric and ginger – perfect for enjoying with tea while recovering from an overdose of mince pies.
Panettone
Our favourite Italian suppliers, Crosta & Mollica – available in most good supermarkets – are dedicated to bringing the best fresh products to the UK and their sensational cherry and sultana panettone is no exception. They don’t take shortcuts with their traditional recipe: mixing butter, fresh eggs and candied fruit before slowly proving to give that beautifully delicate Italian taste. We love it lightly toasted and drizzled with mascarpone and cherry jam.
Damson Gin
A Christmas stocking wouldn’t be complete without a naughty tipple or two, and this Damson Vodka from Wiltshire Liqueur Company is an absolute winner. The beautifully illustrated bottles can be personalized with a bespoke label for the lucky recipient, and the fruity liqueur can be enjoyed around the fire over a boxing-day game of Monopoly, or topped up with ginger ale for some extra zing.
