Mulled Wine Poached Apples Food

RED WINE COOKED APPLES WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

Steps:

• For the crumble: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square casserole dish.
• Combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and melted butter in a large bowl.
• For the cooked apples: Put the peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it closed. Place the apples in a pot with the spices and wine. Cook over medium heat until the apples are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the apples and continue to reduce the wine until it thickens, adding granulated sugar to taste. Dice the apples into large pieces and place into the prepared dish. Discard the spice bag and pour the liquid over the apples.
• Top with the crumble and bake until warmed throughout and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

POACHED APPLES WITH VANILLA YOGURT

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, orange juice, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, star anise, and 2 cups water in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add apples; reduce heat to low and simmer, occasionally rotating apples, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 25-30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a plate and set aside. Strain poaching liquid in pan into a small saucepan, discarding solids in strainer. Set saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until poaching liquid is syrupy and reduced to about 3/4 cup, 10-15 minutes (syrup will thicken as it cools).
• Combine yogurt and honey in a small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk until the yogurt sauce is smooth and well blended.
• Divide yogurt sauce among plates. Place warm apples on top. Drizzle syrup over.

MULLED WINE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first 6 ingredients. Place remaining spices on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose spices; tie securely with string. Place in pan., Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer gently, covered, 20 minutes. Transfer to a covered container; cool slightly. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Strain wine mixture into a large saucepan, discarding fruit and spice bag; reheat. Serve warm. Garnish as desired.

MULLED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the wine, 5 ounces of the honey, the cloves, chiles, cinnamon, star anise and vanilla seeds, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pears. Submerge the pears fully by placing a plate small enough to fit in the pan, over the pears. Cook until tender, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Refrigerate the pears in the cooking liquid until cool, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 5 tablespoons honey, the cream cheese and lemon zest in a bowl, and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
• Place 1 ounce of the cream cheese mixture on each plate, then top each with 2 pieces of pear, and sprinkle almonds over the top to serve.

MULLED WINE

Steps:

• Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.

MULLED APPLE JUICE

Steps:

• Simmer the apple juice with the strips of orange peel, cinnamon stick and cloves for about 5-10 mins until all the flavours have infused. Sweeten to taste.
• Serve each drink with a little orange peel and a piece of cinnamon stick, if you like.

APPLEBERRY MULLED WINE

Steps:

• Pour the wine and apple juice into a large saucepan and add the sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise. Heat gently, stirring once or twice, until the sugar has dissolved, then continue heating gently for another 15 minutes.
• Just before serving, swirl in the Curaçao or Cointreau, throw in the frozen fruits and add the apple slices.

POACHED PEARS IN SPICED RED WINE

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

MULLED WINE

Steps:

• Put the red wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon zest and sugar in a large pan. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins.
• Remove from the heat and cool, leaving to infuse for about 30 mins.
• To serve, heat without boiling, stir in the sloe gin (if using, see tip below) and pour into mugs or heatproof glasses.