Christmas drinks

Winter months need winter warmth and we need to create it in the northern hemisphere whenever and  wherever we can. The Scandinavians are very good at creating warmth where you would think none can be found.  They manage to eek out and to take pleasure in the smallest of moments and it is this that I think helps them combat the dark and the cold, it is a part of what the overly used word hygge is about but only part as this word is so much more.  

Here in the UK, we have mulled wine and we associate it with the run-up to Christmas, in Norway and in the wider Scandinavia it is drunk and enjoyed throughout winter.  The warmth it brings with a mixture of sweet with spices makes it very different from the English mulled wine.  These drinks are not the same, similar but not the same.

Cranberry Gløgg ~ My favourite with or without the vodka or red wine, great for non-drinkers and designated drivers as well as the young ones.  This is such a good all-rounder.

Cranberry gløgg with cranberries and an orange slice

You will need: makes a litre

1l cranberry juice

100g sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (if you struggle to source this use 2 tsp of cardamon kernels crushed)

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

8 cloves

large stick of cinnamon

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

100g cranberries or 80g raisins and a handful of chopped almonds

Vodka or red wine ~ optional

Pour 200ml of the juice into a saucepan with the sugar and spices.

Bring to the boil and simmer for a 3-4 minutes.

Strain the liquid and return to the pan with the remainder of the cranberry juice.

Bring back to simmering point adding in the chilli flakes and cranberries.

If using the vodka or red wine of the vodka or a bottle of the wine and warm back up without boiling.  add in a good splash now.

Serve.

Apple Gløgg ~  My husband finds Norwegian glogg a tad too sweet so he prefers the lesser-known but equally Scandinavian gløgg with an apple base.  

Top with a thin slice of apple, here I used a
cookie cutter to remove the centre of the apple slice

You will need: makes a litre

1l good quality apple juice

4 tbsp honey

2 cinnamon sticks

1 1/2 tsp cardamon kernels, crushed

1/2 tsp whole cloves

2 star anise

orange peel

Brandy, a good splash or two~ optional

very thin slices of apple for decoration

Pour 200ml of the juice into a saucepan with the honey, spices.

Bring to the boil and simmer for a 3-4 minutes.

Take the pan away from the heat and add the rest of the apple juice.  Allow the gløgg to rest awhile, the longer you leave it, the stronger the spice taste will be.  

Strain the glogg and warm the gløgg back up, add the brandy if using but do not boil.

Pour into glasses and add a thin slice of apple.

Here you see my gløgg topped with a gløgg cookie,
more on this tomorrow!

Your gløgg can be topped with any garnish, traditionally Norwegians
add chopped almonds and raisins, but here I have a
slow oven-baked orange slice and a
slice a passion fruit to add a more modern edge

Apple gløgg on the left and Cranberry gløgg on the right

 

 ♥  What is your favourite Christmas tipple?  ♥