Pannetones & Pine Cones
Some Christmas pairings feel natural—cocoa and carols, snowflakes and sweaters—but Panettone & Pine Cones was the sort of whimsical match that could only happen in our Rhyming Hygge series. The idea began simply enough: feature panettone, Miles’ favorite December treat, and balance it with the rustic winter charm of pine cones. But the day took its own lighthearted turn the moment we realized that our beloved Midwestern “PAN-uh-tone” wasn’t quite right, and the authentic and elegant Italian “pah-neh-TOH-neh” refused to rhyme with “pine cone.” Add in our chosen movie, The Mistle-tones, which doesn’t rhyme either, and our theme became more joke than jingle. Still, hygge doesn’t need perfect syllables—just comfort, creativity, and joy—and we had plenty of all three.
The morning opened with a breakfast as cozy as it was quirky: Christmas-tree-shaped scones drizzled with icing and paired with pine cone jam, a jar so charmingly odd it immediately set the tone for the day. Homemade panettone—ours having been a work in progress since we started it during Brazil’s pannetone featuer—was ready to be sampled for the first time as well. The flavors were certainly there, unfortunately the light and bready texture wasn’t. It was a bit dense to say the least.
d in the wings while we queued up videos on its history and traditional Milanese preparation. Watching the craftsmanship behind each loaf gave the whole family a deeper appreciation for the airy, fruit-studded bread that has earned its place on our December table. Maybe we’ll try it again to become panettone masters.
By afternoon, the focus shifted fully to the pine cone half of the day, and the kitchen became a craft studio. We scented pine cones with fir scented oils, built a tiny pine cone Christmas tree, and rolled peanut-butter-coated cones in birdseed to turn them into outdoor feeders.
And Bekah—sporting her now-iconic family-face Christmas sweatshirt—carried the whole workshop with the serene determination of someone who has accepted that crafting and chaos are synonyms.
The games took over next: a pine cone scavenger hunt through the house, followed by a hot-potato–style pine cone toss that left the twins giggling and sprinting in circles.
Evening brought the warmest part of the hygge: panettone at the table. First as golden, custardy French toast—crispy on the edges, soft within—then as panettone bread pudding, comforting and caramel-scented. Dessert continued with pine cone brownies, sculpted so realistically that for a moment they looked like they belonged on the craft tray, not the dessert plate. Pine-syrup cocktails (and mocktails) rounded out the flavors, tying the whole theme together with a gentle evergreen note.
We ended curled up with “The Mistle-tones” movie about an acappela Christmas group. We teased ourselves again about our ambitious but completely unrhymable title. Panettone & Pine Cones may not rhyme, but by the time the credits rolled, it had become one of those unmistakably “us” Christmas days: creative, cozy, a little absurd, and full of warmth.
In the end, the rhyme didn’t matter.
The hygge did.
Activities
Scented Pine Cone Crafting
Pine Cone Christmas Tree Craft
Pine Cone Bird Feeder Making
Pine Cone Scavenger Hunt
Pine Cone Toss (Hot Potato)
“Mistle-Tones” Movie Night
“Forrest” Frank Lofi Christmas Playlist
Menu
Homemade Panettone
Christmas Tree–Shaped Scones w/ Pine Cone Jam
Panettone French Toast
Pine Nut Pasta
Pine Cone Brownies
Panettone Bread Pudding
Christmas Pine Cone w/ Pine Cone Syrup Cocktail
