Mulling Over Some Warm Beverages

posted January 24, 2007
  by Pamela Chester, The Savvy Slow Cooker

Well it finally happened—winter has blown into town and made its presence known. Given the recent balmy sixty-plus degree January weather, I was beginning to think we wouldn’t have a winter at all this year. But today we actually saw some snowflakes as this winter season churned off to a late start. And that tells me it's time to get out the crockpot and make some of my very favorite recipes for warm winter beverages.

While visiting some friends in northern Virginia this past weekend, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather (temperatures there were in the 70s!) and take a tour of some local wineries. While you may think of California wine when you hear of American wine, there are actually wineries in every state, including three in Alaska. The Virginia wine industry, which has been around since the founding of the United States when Thomas Jefferson brought some vine clippings over from France to make wine on his estate, has recently experienced a revival as interest in locally grown foods has increased. On our tour I learned these and other interesting facts. I also picked up a recipe for making mulled red wine in the crockpot and now that the weather has turned colder, I am ready to try it!

Red wine makes a very nice winter warmer and is traditionally used with mulling spices, but you can also mull port, white wine, apple cider or hard cider. Mulling often starts with cinnamon sticks and clove studded apples but you can add spices such as nutmeg, mace, star anise, fresh ginger, allspice, cardamom, orange slices and lemon zest as well.

The mulled beverage should be steeped very gently over low heat for several hours, and can also be kept warm in the slow cooker once it is infused with flavor. Do not let the mixture come to a boil as it may become bitter. Keep in mind that the alcohol content will not cook out at a low temperature, if this is a concern.

Whole spices rather than ground spices should be used to infuse the beverage without making it cloudy or grainy. If you have cheesecloth you can tie your spices into a neat little sack and drop it into the mixture, otherwise you may want to strain the spices out before serving. You can garnish each mug or cup with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick. An added bonus is that while you are simmering your delicious crockpot of cheer, it will scent the entire house with the lovely aroma of cinnamon!

Another favorite winter beverage that can be simmered all day long in the crockpot is hot cocoa. With all the different varieties of chocolate out there, from coffee flavored mocha hot cocoa, to chili spiced chocolate, to white hot chocolate, there is no end to the variety of hot cocoa you can make. I am also a sucker for plain old hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

So now that winter is finally here, warm up with a delicious mug of hot chocolate or mulled wine!

Mulled Wine Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 8
Ready in: 1-2 hrs

* 1 small cinnamon stick, broken into 1 inch pieces
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 2/3 cup sugar
* Thin lemon slices
* 1 bottle dry red wine

Combine all ingredients (except lemon slices) in crockpot. Heat on high for one hour or until hot, then reduce to low to hold temperature for serving.

To serve, ladle into small mugs or punch cups and top each serving with lemon slice.

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.



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