Christmas Mulled Wine

Nothing says Christmas quite like a warm glass of mulled wine. Just breathing in the heady scents of cinnamon, star anise and cloves, with a backdrop of delicate orange flavours is guaranteed to make even the grumpiest scrooge come over all festive.

In olden times you might have made your mulled wine by plunging a red-hot poker into a vat of plunged into a cauldron, but luckily you can get the same effect today without the open fire! Our simple recipe is quick and easy and works with any red wines or ciders.

Illustrations of plant leaves, knife with chopping board and potted plant.

1 orange
1 lemon
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
1 bottle of red wine
2 bay leaves
A little grated nutmeg
2 tbsp. caster sugar

Pare away the peel from the orange and lemon into thin curls and drop into a small saucepan.
Slice the orange in half horizontally and set one of the halves aside. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half into the pan.
Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, wine and sugar into the saucepan. Grate over a little nutmeg.
Gently heat the mixture, stirring to dissolve the sugar until it is warm and beginning to steam. Taste and add a little more sugar if desired.
Thinly slice the remaining orange half.
Pour the mulled wine into glasses and pop an orange slice into each one.