Mulled Wine

Today I just don’t feel like writing about Gaucher, Parkinson's or anything to do with health. Feeling distinctly cold this morning, my thoughts are on comforting hot drinks and food. Instead I am going to give you my recipe for mulled wine, which I hope you will enjoy as much as we do. With the chilly winter days, I always notice how quickly it gets dark in the evenings. Having some friends over, a bottle of chilled white wine doesn't sound very appealing on a cold night, so I am making a batch of mulled wine. Our guests will be greeted by the wonderful inviting smells of this warming drink, as it keeps hot on the stove in a large cauldron.

Mulled Wine (makes about 12 glasses)

1 bottle dry red wine

1/2 cup brandy

2 cups of orange juice

1 cup of water

1 sliced orange

1/2 cup of sugar

10 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

A small nob of peeled ginger

Push the cloves into some of the slices of orange to save them floating around, and add all the ingredients to a large saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Make it several hours before you want to serve it. Once it has heated through, turn off the heat and allow the spices to infuse. Simply heat up gently when your guests are about to arrive. Do not bring to a boil - you just want to keep it hot. I used to dip the rims of the glasses in sugar which adds an elegant and festive touch, but with my shaky hands, I think I'll give this addition a miss this year.

Have a lovely day and an enjoyable evening.