There is nothing like a tasty glass of mulled wine to get you in the Christmas spirit. Sweet and spicy, it is the ultimate winter warmer. Mulled wine was originally used by the Romans to defend their bodies from the cold and as they conquered much of Europe, they brought their love of mulled wine with them. Yet another thing we have to thank them for!

 You could buy the pre-made stuff but then you’d be missing out on filling your house with the gorgeous aroma- better than any candle! The great thing about mulled wine is you don’t have to buy expensive wine; a cheap bottle will do and once all of the other ingredients are added you’ll never taste the difference. This recipe can be easily adapted to suit your taste, simply add more juice if you like it a little weaker and add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.

Ingredients

750ml red wine
150g castor sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
peel of one lemon
peel of one orange
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1 tsp fresh nutmeg
pinch of ginger

Method

1. Place all ingredient except the wine into a large saucepan and place on medium heat. Add just a small glug of red wine to the pan to ensure the sugar is covered and let it cook for 4-5 minutes until it becomes thick and sticky. This should let all the spices infuse well.
2. Once the mixture has become sticky enough, add the rest of the wine and turn down the heat. You don’t want the wine to boil otherwise all the alcohol will evaporate!!! Let cook for 5 minutes and serve hot with slices with fresh orange

If you serve this to your friends and family they will definitely be asking you for the recipe!

(Adapted from : http://adelineandlumiere.com/2012/08/07/best-ever-spiced-mulled-wine/)