Spice up your holiday season with these festive flavors.

This recipe combines comforting seasonal spices such as cinnamon, ginger and clove into a versatile blend to infuse a cheerful taste into your holiday meals.

The Winter Spice Blend requires eight ingredients, yields 1¼ cups—more than enough to last you through the holiday season—and takes only 10 minutes to make with the help of your Vitamix. Here's the recipe:

Winter Spice Seasoning

Ingredients:

  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon pink or mixed peppercorns
  • 1 ½ teaspoons clove
  • ½ cup (50 g) dried orange peel
  • 6 tablespoons (100g) brown sugar

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
  2. Select Variable 1.
  3. Start the machine, slowly increase to its highest speed.
  4. Blend for 30 seconds or until desired consistency is reached, using the tamper to push ingredients into the blades, if needed.

Use the Winter Spice Blend as your go-to ingredient when cooking a holiday feast. The spices, sweetness and a dash of citrus create delicious aromatic flavors that pair wonderfully with wintertime staples, like vegetable soups or Brussels sprouts, or it can serve as a delicious rub for a pork roast. Kick your cookies or warm cider up a notch with a pinch of the spice blend to finish off your meal on the right note.

For your next holiday meal, consider this menu that features this yummy wintery spice blend from start to finish.

Starter: Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

The winter spice blend enhances the flavors of this savory turnip, carrot, onion, celery and garlic combo.

Main: Crown Roast of Pork with Brioche Bread Crumb Stuffing

This hearty and comforting entree is filled with winter spices both inside and out.

Side: Charred Brussels Sprouts with Aged Balsamic Aioli

The spice blend helps caramelize the charred Brussels sprouts and adds a winter flavor and extra sweetness to this already tasty vegetable.

Dessert: Gingersnap Cookies

A holiday meal is not complete without these ginger-spiced treats that are sure to become a yearly tradition.

Cocktail: Warm Spiced Mulled Cider

A touch of the holiday spice blend transforms this cider into a wintery beverage.