December is a great month. Christmas, New Years, lots of good food, happy people, time to visit your relatives, light candles, give and receive gifts. But for me it’s also a great month because it allows me to indulge in that second favorite warm drink after coffee: Gløgg!

To those who don’t know this, it is a warm, so-called mulled wine, spiced with cinnamon, cloves etc. and served with raisins and almonds. In Denmark it has become a Christmas thing, although no-one seems to know why (and one could argue it should be served all through the winter).

Yes, I am a bit of a gløgg aficionado. And so, I want to share this recipe with you.

Gløgg a la Klaus

Ingredients:
I highly recommend getting good quality ingredients. I only use nice, organic spices. The wine doesn’t have to be expensive, but I prefer not to buy the cheapest either.

100 g Almonds
150 g Raisins
1 dl Cognac, dark rum or aquavit
1,5 dl Red wine
1,5 dl Water
5 whole Cardamom
10 whole Cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks
2 Star Anise
1 cm3 Fresh Ginger
½ Polynesian/Tahitian Vanilla Pod
1 dl Cane sugar
½ Lemon
1 Orange

7 dl. Red wine
3 dl. Port wine

You need to prepare the extract the day before.
Add the cognac, dark rum or aquavit to the raisins and let it steep in the fridge.
In a small pot mix all the spices, ginger, vanilla and sugar with 1,5 dl. Red wine and the water and put to boil. Add the peel from the lemon and the peel and juice from the orange to the mix. Let it simmer for half an hour with the lid on. Put aside in the refrigerator until the next day.

Next day.
Scold the almonds and remove the skin. Chop them in thin slices.
Sieve the mixture into a larger pot. Add the rest of the red wine, the port wine, the cognac-steeped raisins and the chopped almonds. Heat up to 80 degrees Celcius. Do not let it boil! Taste and add some cane sugar if needed.

Pre-heat some thick glasses, put on a nice record, light all your candles, and serve!

Enjoy!