November in Boston (and in other parts of the world) is supposed to mean colder weather. Jill Shalvis on her Instagram is already posting photos of snow, for god’s sake. It’s beautiful by the way, but I prefer to admire that beauty from afar. I chose a warm drink to make this month because I thought I’d need something to keep me cozy and warm in the evenings.
However, it’s been in the seventies this week. In November. Which is clearly a sign of the end times. Either Mother Nature is trying to apologize for last winter, or she has devious plans to be a cruel bitch and lull us into a false sense of security.
For this recipe, I made use of my slow cooker/Crockpot. I love this thing and I’d marry the device if it were allowed. The holidays are a time when there are lots of gatherings, so this is perfect to make for a group. Or if you’re like me, you can make a big batch ahead of time. Put it into a pitcher or container and just reheat again in a saucepan.
This month, the book that inspired my mulled wine is A Talent for Trickery, which was mentioned in this month’s edition of Hide Your Wallet. The first thing I noticed was that gorgeous plum-colored dress on the cover. I mean, how could you not. I immediately thought of blackberries and dark, rich fruit. If it were warmer in general (i.e. if I lived back in Florida), I probably would have opted for sangria. I also added some brandy instead of using just wine, because as we like to say in my apartment, “Mama needs her juice.”
There’s also a mystery at the heart of the romance, so I wanted a hint of spice to add to the warmth. This is the first time I’ve made any sort of mulled wine. I’m more of an instant-hot-chocolate-with-a-splash-of-Disaronno sort of girl. However, this was really good — the perfect drink to warm your hands while getting lost in the chilly streets of London.
I’d also like to add that I nearly had a meltdown when my corkscrew ripped the cork in half while still in the bottle. My wine tastes are usually firmly in the twist-off cap camp.
Shopping List:
Bottle of red wine
Flavored brandy
Apple cider
Oranges
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves
Proportions:
Entire bottle of red wine (go for broke)
4 cups of apple cider
1 cup brandy
2 oranges, sliced/wedged
2 cinnamon sticks
4-5 cloves
Directions:
Just dump everything on into the slow cooker. Let it cook on low for about two hours. When you’re ready to serve, switch the setting to warm.
Modifications and notes:
- This is a little on the sweeter side with the cider, so feel free to adjust by adding more spices, less cider, or leave the brandy out altogether.
- Hate blackberries? Use a different flavored brandy! Or just regular brandy!
- The oranges I bought were pretty huge and I love boozy fruit, so I cut them up and let them simmer in the slow cooker. If you’re not a fan of chunks of fruit soaked in alcohol, well shame on you and send them to me. But, you can choose to juice the oranges instead and just pour the juice into the mixture.
- Feel free to strain the mixture as well since the pulp of the fruit can rise to the top of the wine. I’m not big on pulp in general.
When Mom used to make hot spiced cider, she’d stick the cloves into the oranges, put them on an ovenproof dish and bake them at 350F for 10 minutes before floating them in the heating cider. It’s a bit of work but the results are much better than tossing everything in the pot to heat.
The German restaurant near me makes amazing mulled wine. Or as I call it, Elyse-sleepy-juice
If it’s too sweet, instead of cutting back on cider, you could switch to hard cider for an extra thrill. :=)
@tealadytoo: Oh, I like that idea. Any excuse to drink more hard cider. Seriously, I live for Woodchuck’s Fall Harvest.
So my question is, what to do with an entire crockpot’s worth of mulled wine. Does it keep in the fridge? Freezer? How do I heat it up the next day? (These are all the reasons why I don’t make it unless I’m having many people over, which happens less often than I desire mulled wine.)
@Sue, I used to make a single-serve version using 1 cup burgundy, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 4-5 cloves and about 1 tbsp grated orange peel. (You can add a shot of brandy if you want but I would usually save the apple cider for the hot buttered rum.) This was before I had a crockpot so I would just put it in a small enamel saucepan (be sure to use enamel or glass and not metal) and set it on a low simmer for about 15 minutes. Best thing in the world for premenstrual/menstrual issues.
@Sue: Right now, whatever we had left over went into a pitcher and into the fridge. Theoretically, you’d reheat it in a saucepan. I’ll report back though!
@EC Spurlock, I’ll try the single cup method, thanks!
The idea of using a crockpot was very appealing, though. Oooooh, what about those teeny tiny crockpots. Getting a special teeny tiny crockpot just for mulled wine might be excessive, though.
@Sue, my teeny tiny crock pot cost all of about $10 at Target. One of the best Christmas presents ever.
@Sue, invest in the tiny crockpot, it’s worth it. I use my big one for family meals but my little one comes in very handy when it’s just me for dinner (I have a one-chicken-breast chicken soup going in it now) and is also good for other things. I used to put oatmeal and hot cereal in mine, turn it on when I got up and by the time the kids and I were ready for breakfast it was ready too, without the standing there and stirring part. (Just make sure you put 1-2 tbsp of butter in to keep it from sticking or foaming.) Now I use my rice cooker for that because it’s quicker; but the crock pot works well too.
Yes, you can refrigerate or freeze leftover spiced wine or cider. If you don’t have a suitable heat resistant pitcher, keep it covered while you let it cool to room temp in the pot where you heated it. When it’s cool enough, strain out the fruit and spices before you can transfer it into something suitable for the refrigerator. If you want to freeze it, I recommend getting some disposable plastic cups that fit your favorite microwavable mug or measuring cup. Pour a serving of the cold beverage into the disposable cup, cover with plastic film and freeze. You can melt a serving as needed in your microwavable cup. By the way, you can make adult popsicles out of leftovers if you don’t have to worry about kids getting them. Alcohol will absorb strong flavors or smells in in your fridge, which is one reason you want to keep it covered.
@Virginia E: You’re a genius! I have a popsicle mold I’ve been dying to use.