Nothing puts us in the Christmas spirit like a warm glass of mulled wine! And this recipe is guaranteed to have you feeling festive.
Ingredients
2 Bottles of Red wine (The ideal reds to use are young, bright, fruity and ideally unoaked)
2–4 tablespoons sugar to taste
1 long cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 orange (sliced)
1 lemon (sliced)
Optional Extras!
1/4 cup brandy (or your favourite liqueur)
Extra Christmassy flavors: Citrus slices (Clementine or Mandarin), ¼ grated nutmeg, vanilla pod (halved), ginger or cardamom! Be careful not to over spice the wine though – less is always more!
Method
Pour the wine into a large saucepan with the sugar, spices and sliced fruit (Top Tip! – Tie your whole spices in muslin to save having to scoop out bits before serving!).
Gently heat whilst stirring until the sugar has dissolved and then continue to heat for a further 15 minutes. Be sure that you don’t allow the liquid to boil as the alcohol will evaporate! Take off the heat and leave for all the flavours to infuse for ½ hour.
Alternatively, place the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low until warm (1-2 hours, depending on your slow cooker).
To Serve
To serve, simply reheat your mulled wine and use a ladle to pour it into a glass. Serve with a side of mince pies!
