I didn’t realize how delicious mulled wine could be until our neighbors from Denmark served us their recipe. It was unique to me, as I had never had mulled wine with nuts and fruit at the bottom of the mug, there like a little treat for me to nibble on as I neared the end of my holiday quaff. Over the years I’ve tinkered with and combined recipes to come up with something that comes close. I’m not sure if star anise is traditionally Danish, but I love the licorice flavor it imparts, and given how popular licorice is in Scandinavia, it seemed a fitting addition.
Mulled Wine with Slivered Almonds & Plump Raisins
I didn’t realize how delicious mulled wine could be until our neighbors from Denmark served us their recipe. It was unique to me, as I had never had mulled wine with nuts and fruit at the bottom of the mug, there like a little treat for me to nibble on as I neared the end of my holiday quaff. Over the years I’ve tinkered with and combined recipes to come up with something that comes close. I’m not sure if star anise is traditionally Danish, but I love the licorice flavor it imparts, and given how popular licorice is in Scandinavia, it seemed a fitting addition.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle light-bodied red wine
- 1 orange
- 1 cup brandy
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 star anise
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Pour the wine and brandy into a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to peel 3 wide strips of zest from the orange, then add that to the pot. Cut the orange in half, and squeeze the juice in. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise and bring to a simmer.
- Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved, then reduce the heat and keep at a low simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon, cloves, orange peels and star anise from the pot using a slotted spoon. They might be tough to find! Just stir and try to fish them out when you see them, counting to make sure you’ve retrieved them all.
- Add the almonds and raisins, and continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
- At this point, the mulled wine can be kept warm over very low heat, not simmering.
- To serve, ladle into mugs, making sure you get some almonds and raisins into each mug.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
