Mulled wine with honey and oranges
On the day before Christmas Eve, I finally wind down with a merry glass of mulled wine, ready to embrace Christmas.
Few things are as stressful as vacation, and Christmas is no exception. In order to achieve all that coziness as you are supposed to have, you should start your preparations in January.
Even though I never bake much for Christmas, nor have any ambitions of being a perfect 50s housewife, I barely manage to keep my head above water. My short-time memory fails me, stress hormones are racing in my soul, and I lurch and stagger like a Christmas-zombie most of December.
But when the day before Christmas Eve arrives and the Christmas tree is standing there in all its splendor, when the little ones are sleeping, when a million snow stars are falling to the ground, when the cats are lying on woolen blankets and my glass is filled with mulled wine. At that moment it is finally Christmas.
Wish you all a Merry Christmas, wherever you are.
My beautiful little Christmas tree santa.
Mulled wine with honey and orange (makes 3-4)
500 ml high-quality juice (preferably black currant or apple juice, e.g. Danish søbogaard)
A thumb of fresh ginger
1 star anise
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp honey
2 organic oranges
red wine (optional)
Cut half an orange into thin slices. Squeeze the juice of the remaining oranges. Peel and slice the ginger thinly. Place all ingredients in a pan and bring to boil.
If you want to make the mulled wine without alcohol, let it barely simmer for an hour.
If you want to make it with wine, let it simmer for 15 minutes, then turn up the heat a bit and cook until reduced by one third. Measure the liquid and add an equal amount of red wine. Bring back to boil again and serve.
More Christmas recipes?
Creamy rice porridge “Suzette”
Rice pudding with stardust
Heavenly fruit salad with clementines
French toast with gingerbread ice cream