Cranberry Mulled Wine Food

MULLED CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Wrap the cinnamon stick, peppercorns, orange zest and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine to make a bundle.
• Combine the cranberries, sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, the wine and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan; add the cheesecloth bundle and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Transfer the cranberry sauce to a bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight; discard the cheesecloth bundle. Garnish with thin strips of orange zest.

MULLED WINE AND CRANBERRY SORBET

Steps:

• Combine the cranberries, red wine, 2 1/2 cups water, allspice, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla bean in a saucepot. Cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. The cranberries will have become very soft and the liquid will be reduced by about 20-percent.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve fine enough to catch the spices, pushing lightly to extract some of the cranberry pulp. Chill the sorbet mixture thoroughly and spin in an ice cream maker until frozen.

CRANBERRY-CLEMENTINE MULLED SANGRIA

Steps:

• Bring the allspice, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, then return the mixture to a boil. Stir in the maple syrup and cranberries, and cook for 2 minutes. Let cool, then transfer the mixture to a 3-quart pitcher.
• Add the wine and liqueur to the pitcher, and stir to combine. Add the clementines and ginger, and cover the pitcher with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the sangria for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• To serve, fill 8 glasses halfway with ice, then pour the sangria and fruit into each glass.

CRANBERRY MULLED WINE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, combine the wine, cinnamon, anise, ginger, the juice and the flesh of the oranges, lemons, limes, the sugar, cranberries, and apple cider. Bring to a slow simmer for about 1 hour and check for seasoning, may need more sugar. Serve strained in mugs.

CRANBERRY-SPICE SACHETS FOR MULLED WINE

Steps:

• For the cranberry-spice bags, combine 1/4 cup cranberries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 candied orange peel strips, and 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger in each of eight decorative bags. Store at room temperature up to 1 month. Makes enough for 8 batches of mulled wine or cider.
• When it's time to make mulled wine, bring the contents of one bag of spices and the wine to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and barely simmer 30 minutes, until flavor is infused into wine; stir in sugar until dissolved. Strain. (This will make around 6 servings).
• If you would perfer mulled cider, prepare as directed for mulled wine, except omit the sugar.

MULLED CRANBERRY WINE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except vodka, sweetened dried cranberries and almonds in a large saucepan.
• Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
• Strain punch to remove spices.
• Stir in vodka, if desired.
• Place 1 tablespoon sweetened dried cranberries and 1 1/2 teaspoons almonds in bottom of each punch glass or mug.
• Pour mulled wine over mixture.

MULLED WINE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Grate the zest from 1 orange and set aside. Peel both of the oranges. Working over bowl to catch the juices, cut between the membranes to release the segments. Set the orange segments and juices aside.
• Mix the cranberries, orange zest, red wine, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Strain the orange juice into the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the berries are completely popped and the juices thicken, about 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange segments. Cool to room temperature. (The cranberry sauce can be prepared up to 1 week ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated.).

MULLED WINE & CRANBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Bring the wine, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and orange juice to the boil in a large pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 mins until the wine has reduced by half. Remove and discard the aromatics.
• Add the cranberries, both sugars and the orange zest to the pan and cook over a low-medium heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 15-20 mins more until the cranberries have started to burst and soften, creating a glossy, jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy, if using.
• Cool a little jam on a teaspoon, then taste and sweeten with a sprinkle of caster sugar if the cranberries are too tart. Return to the heat for 2 mins, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• Spoon the jam into two 324ml sterilised jars (see tip, below), seal and cool. Will keep chilled for up to three months. Once opened, use within two weeks.