I’m organizing a brunch/Christmas caroling gathering for next Sunday afternoon, and am in search of some tasty and authentic recipes for the above items. I’m probably also going to take a stab at figgy pudding, for which I have an actual English cookbook (and does anyone know where I can find vegetable suet, or what a good substitute would be? Crisco, maybe?), but would love some actual tested recipes, preferably ones with no prefab items (lots of recipes seem to call for pineapple juice and/or cranberry cocktail, which somehow don’t seem in the spirit of Merry Olde England).
Glogg is obviously primarily an alcohol-based drink, but for the wassail, it would be nice to have a recipe where one doesn’t have to add booze to the whole batch, so the revelers don’t have to get sloshed in the middle of the afternoon if they don’t want to. I can always put out a bottle of rum or whatever for those who want to doctor the wassail to lubricate their singing voices and keep their toes warm.
Glögg is one of the few things that’s luring me back to Sweden. I’d post my usual recipe, yet it’s been a few years since I’ve made it and my memory is regrettably fading.
This recipe is one for swedish glugg that I used as part of a group project this semester. I have no idea how good or not good it is, though, not having tried it.
1 c. sugar
4 c. water
24 blanched almonds
24 cardamom seeds
24 whole cloves
2/3 cups golden raisins
peel of one orange, cut in strips
Add:
6 c. port wine
Scald, but do not boil.
Add:
A fifth of Southern Comfort
Burn (flash) for one second. Put out flame with lid of pan, then burn again. Serve warm, making sure that everyone gets an almond and a couple raisins in the bottom of their cup.
Recipe compliments of my father in law. He’s in his 80’s and this recipe goes back at least as far as his grandfather, who was born and bred (and died) in Sweden.