Holiday Drinks Recipe Exchange

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My gluhwein is almost as easy. Simmer a half gallon of local cider on the stove, add whole cloves & cinnamon sticks to taste, simmer a bit until your whole house smells like an apple cinnamon bun, pour two/thirds full into a thermos or carafe, top with one/third vodka.

I have this baroque "Wassail" recipe (quotes there, because I know wassail is an old English drink and doesn't involve cranberry juice as this recipe does); it takes a bit of time, but it's a show stopper.

You get 8 little baking apples, core out the bottoms, leaving in tact stem and top. Then you make up a syrup of
1C brown sugar
½ t ground spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg)
1C brandy.

Just heat it up on the stove till it hits a boil and the sugar melts. Put apples in baking dish, pour syrup over them and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Then you heat up
1 gallon of apple
1 quart of cranberry juice
Add in orange wedges studded with cloves, a mesh bag of mulling spices, cinnamon sticks.

Bring to a boil then down to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add a cup or two of rum if desired. Strain it all into a punch bowl (so says the recipe, but I left it in a pot on the stove). Stir in baked apple syrup and float apples on top. (This is why you don't core them entirely, so they look nice floating on the "wassail"). Very pretty and the house smells wonderful

 

[R. Richard]

My choice for a really good holiday tipple:

http://www.irish-poteen.com/consumer/ip_italy/images/pot60.jpg