Hot Drinks for Cold Times

Now that winter is upon us again, it seemed like a good time to spread some warmth in the form of another posting. This time it comes not from Anna, but from Jim, her dad. I'm glad to be joining Anna in this endeavor, as we share a love of cooking. Because I live in Austria, I'll also be bringing some recipes from my adopted homeland to these pages.

The first one is one of Jenn's favorites--a drink consumed in great quantities at this time of year in Austria, preferably outside at an Advent Market stand with lots of good pre-Christmas spirit. Anna will be bringing another, closely related favorite in a couple of weeks. This will tide you over until then.

Glühwein (Literally, Glow Wine--A wine that will put a glow on your cheeks)

2 bottles of good red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot noir works well)
1 organic orange
1 organic lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean
1 star anise
2 whole cloves
2/3 cup sugar

Slice the orange and lemon into 1/4 inch slices. Add the rest of the ingredients and warm uncovered until just below the boiling point before serving. Although it might seem more efficient to cover the pot while warming, leaving the cover off has the advantage of spreading the wonderful smell throughout the house.

It is helpful to have a small strainer handy to strain the wine as you ladle it into mugs before serving. Do not skimp on the quality of the wine. Just because it is warmed and doctored up with sugar and spices does not mean you can't taste the difference between a bad wine and a good one in this recipe.

And for those of you who do not handle alcohol well, here is one that will wet your whistle without making you tipsy:

Hot Mulled Cider

2 quarts of cider (apple juice will do in a pinch, but cider tastes better)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
1 organic lemon, cut in thin slices
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes more. Keep warm on low heat until serving or transfer to a punch bowl heated with a tea light. Makes 8 cups. And if it just doesn't do it for you without a little rush, you can add 1/2 cup of good quality rum as it simmers.