MULLED WINE
2 clementines
2 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
6 allspice berries
6 peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy
1 bottle of a dry red (like a cabernet sauvignon)
Zest and juice the clementine into a sauce pan. Add all the spices and sugar. Bring to a simmer and let the flavors melt together for half an hour. Be careful not to burn/boil the sugar!
Pour in the wine and brandy and cook until warmed through.
Serve in some glasses with a stick of cinnamon and a slice of clementine.
Drink! and be merry.
Tammy's notes: I like a smooth (chunk free) wine so I use a vegetable peeler to zest the orange in large slices so I can easily fish them out. Also, I'm not much for a sweet tooth. Some recipes will call for you to use a sweet wine and add more sugar, which I do the complete opposite. Dry wine, less sugar. It's still a sweet drink, but I'm not overtly sugarfied.
