Posted By Mary Freeland on November 24, 2010

This is a wonderful recipe for holiday gatherings with family and friends.

Mulled Wine Made Simple

* 6 whole cardamom pods (opened and scraped)
* 1-1 1/2 tablespoons whole cloves (extra clove to taste)
* 1 teaspoon orange zest (or dried rind if you have access to this)
* 1 tablespoon Allspice (whole)
* 8-12 cinnamon sticks
* 1 yard of Cheesecloth (or muslin)
* Kitchen twine

Cut cheesecloth into 4-5 inch squares. Place in seeds and cloves. Gather corners together and tie twine at the base of the cloth creating a satchel. Bind 2 to 3 sicks of cinnamon with twine, attach them to your spice satchel with twine as well.

Pour one quart of red wine (Merlot works best) into a heavy bottomed one quart sauce pan or French Oven. Place in one satchel of mulling spice. Bring to a simmer. Cover and let meld for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe works great with apple cider as well. Both travel beautifully. Package some up in a decorative, seal-able, bottle and give it as a gift. An airtight thermos works wonderfully as well.

Categories: Holidays, Italian Recipes
Tags: Holiday entertaining, holiday meals