Red-Wine Wassail

Submitted by Lennie

"This is a great way to serve wassail for a group of good friends; the apples are a terrific addition but not necessary, and the recipe is easily halved. If you have leftover wassail, reheat it gently in the microwave."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 20mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 12-16

ingredients

• 3 cups apple juice
• 2⁄3 cup white sugar
• 2⁄3 cup slivered almonds
• 1⁄2 cup seedless raisin
• 2 quarts red wine
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 24 whole cloves

• Garnish

• 6 apples, cored
• 18 tablespoons white sugar
• whole cloves

directions

1. In a large saucepan or kettle, combine the apple juice, sugar, almonds and raisins; slowly stir in the red wine.
2. Take a large piece of cheesecloth and place the cinnamon sticks and 24 whole cloves on it; with string, tie it up to make a small bundle and drop this into the red wine mixture.
3. Heat slowly over low heat; don't let it boil.
4. Meanwhile, make this unique garnish: stuff the centre of each apple with 3 tbsp sugar and stick each apple with a few whole cloves.
5. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and place the apples in it; bake, covered, at 350F for 45 minutes.
6. Bake the apples about an hour or so before you want to serve the wassail.
7. Pour the heated wassail into a large punch bowl, discarding the spice bag, and then add the baked apples; they are a treat for those still around when the wassail is gone!

Reviews

[Steve_G]

I halved the recipe, just the wonderful aroma that filled the house was worth the effort. Outstanding

 

[mianbao]

This is an excellent holiday drink. The name is not important to me. I wanted to try it out just with my husband before a family party, so cut back the recipe, and made it with 2 apples. I quartered and micro-cooked the apples with about half of the sugar called for, and later added them to the wassail as in the recipe. I kept the other ingredients and proportions as stated. I'm sure this would be beautiful in a large punch bowl with whole apples, and am looking forward to serving it to my guests. Thank you, Lennie, for a wonderful recipe.

 

[Peter1]

This drink is not true "wassail" which is made with ale and rum, but more accurately the Danish drink known as "Glogg". For best effect, don't cook the slivered almonds with the glogg, put them into the bottom of the cup, pouring the glogg over them.