Are you a Mulled Wine person or a Gluhwein fan?

It’s that time of year again. Early darkness and germs threatening to do their worst. Now is the time to bump up the vitamin C and all those medicinal tonics. Like Gluhwein, Mulled Wine and Hot Spiced Apple Juice. Don’t laugh, it’s true, they’ve all got heaps of Vitamin C courtesy of all the fruit, and the brandy and rum in the Gluhwein help to battle germs. Not to mention the herbs such as cinnamon and cloves.

Convinced? Let me share my Winter warmers with you….enjoy!

Hot Spiced Apple Juice

1 Litre of Applie juice
1/2 - 1 stick of Cinnamon
2 or 3 Cloves
1/2 Orange sliced thickly
Brown Sugar to taste

Push the cloves into the orange slices.

Add the Apple juice, cinnamon stick and orange slices to a pot.
Heat gently to just simmering and allow to barely simmer for3-4 minutes.
Turn off heat and allow to brew for at least another 15 minutes. Carefully taste and add sugar to your taste.
Enjoy.

Gluhwein

2 Bottles of a soft red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon
120ml Brandy
30ml Dark Rum
150g Brown Sugar
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Lemon
16 Cloves

Quarter the Lemon and push 4 cloves into each quarter.
Add all the ingredients to a pot.
Heat gently to simmering, but don’t let it boil. Allow it to simmer for 3-4 minutes then turn off the heat, place a lid on the pot and allow to steep for about 1/2 an hour.
To reheat, add 3/4 to a cup and top with boiling water and/or microwave at medium power.

Enjoy