Recipes 

Vin Brulé (Italian Mulled Wine), a Festive Drink

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Vin Brulé (Italian Mulled Wine), a Festive Drink

 Warming, aromatic beverage that’s lovely to sip on cold winter days. It’s great for a holiday party and ladle mugfuls of it out as guests arrive

Ingredients

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

  • 1/3 cup sugar or honey

  • 2 tablespoons orange zest

  • 4 tablespoons orange juice (juice of 1 orange–use a vegetable peeler to create the strips of zest, being careful to make them thin and avoiding the bitter white pith)

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (​zest of 1 lemon; same method as for the orange)

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • 4 whole cloves

  • 1 pinch nutmeg (freshly grated)

  • 1 bottle of full-bodied red wine

  • 1/4-inch ginger (fresh, peeled and bruised )

  • 1 whole star anise

  • 1/2 vanilla pod

  • 10 whole allspice berries

  • 5 whole black peppercorns

  • 1 to 2 bay leaves

Steps to Make It

  1. In a heavy pot  mix the sugar or honey, citrus zest, orange juice, and spices.

  2. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar or honey is dissolved and an aromatic syrup has formed about 4 to 5 minutes. Then lower the heat to low and add the wine. Bring to just a bare simmer and continue over low heat for about 15 minutes or until wine is flavorful. Be careful not to let the wine boil, which adversely affects the flavor.

  3. Ladle through a fine-mesh strainer into mugs or heat-resistant glasses to serve. You can garnish each mug with an orange slice or stick of cinnamon if desired. Serve steaming hot.

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