Gløgg

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our annual holiday party is over and this year the theme was loosely based on Christmas in Scandinavia. Everything turned out well and I think we came pretty close to the meal that might grace a Norse holiday table. We had ham, pate, meatballs, West Coast salad, gravlax, and Jansen's temptation. Unfortunately, I couldn't get herring in the quantity I needed, so we had no herring on the table. We did have desserts aplenty and I even made Limpa bread for the occasion. There was also gløgg and aquavit for those who spirits needed lifting and Swedish egg coffee for the rest of us. Now that order has been restored, I'm going to treat myself to a cup of  gløgg. It has been raining for most of the day and some mulled wine would really hit the spot tonight. Gløgg is very easy to make and I wanted to share this recipe with those of you who might want to try it. If you do imbibe, don't forget the traditional toast. Skål! Here's how this version of mulled wine is made. God Jul!

Gløgg/Mulled Wine...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of A Healthy Journey

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 (750-milliliter) bottles dry red wine
1 cup raisins
1 cup whole almonds
1 cup honey or maple syrup

Directions:
1) In a large sauce pan, bring the first 4 ingredients to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
2) Strain boiled mixture into a large bowl. Discard leftover spices and return liquid to mixture to sauce pan.
3) Add in wine, raisins and sweetener and and slowly reheat mixture. Do not let it boil unless you want wine to evaporate.
4) Serve hot with a spoon of chopped almonds and raisins. Garnish with a cinnamon stick! Yield: 18 (1/2-cup) servings.

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Three Years Ago Today: Caramel Corn

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple, but festive, holiday sipper for those occasions when you want to provide a non-alcoholic alternative for children and guests who are teetotalers. It is really simple to make, and while it was first prepared for a large gathering, you can reduce the quantity of ingredients and serve it for a family holiday brunch. This is best prepared several hours before serving. While it can be poured immediately, time gives the ingredients a chance to blend and mellow, and greatly improves the flavor of the finished punch when it is warmed. You can add spices to taste, but be careful to limit the amount of cloves you use. They can add a bitter taste and will spoil the punch if you use them too freely. I think those of you who try this will enjoy it. It would be a perfect drink to serve at a tree trimming party. The recipe appears below. Before I close, I wanted to thank the very special folks who are responsible for the photo blog, Knapkins. They have created a beautiful site and taken away the need for participating blogs to submit photos for publication. They do the hard work and free us to concentrate on our own blogs and recipe creation. It's like having a second pair of hands to help with the work. I really hope you pay them a visit and see how tastefully they do what they do. You can visit their site, here.

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
6 cups cranberry juice
3 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Optional: red food coloring

Directions:
Several hours before serving, combine all ingredients in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. Reheat before serving. Yield: 20 to 24 servings.








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