Unkle_John
12-15-2008, 11:27 AM
Traditional version (two of MANY):
A Traditional Shropshire Wassail Recipe – for hardened Wassailers!
* 10 very small apples
* 1 large orange stuck with whole cloves
* 10 teaspoons brown sugar
* 2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
* 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3 cloves
* 3 allspice berries
* 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
* 2 cups castor sugar
* 12 to 20 pints of cider according to the number of guests
* 1 cup (or as much as you like) brandy
Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water.
Insert cloves into the orange about 1/2" apart. Bake the orange with the apples in a 350° oven. After about 30 minutes, remove the orange and puncture it in several places with a fork or an ice pick.
Combine the sherry or Madeira, cider, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar, apple and orange juice and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat slowly without letting the mixture come to a boil. Leave on very low heat. Strain the wine mixture and add the brandy.
Pour into a metal punch bowl, or let simmer on the stove top, float the apples and orange on top and ladle hot into punch cups.
Makes enough for 15-20 people – but we always wish we had made more!
Wassail - the ‘soft’ option
* 1 large orange stuck with whole cloves
* 4 Litres apple cider or apple juice
* 2 Litres soft fruit juice (we like peach)
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
* 6 cinnamon sticks
Insert cloves into the orange about 1/2" apart. Bake the orange in a 350° oven. After about 30 minutes, remove the orange and puncture it in several places with a fork or an ice pick. Place the orange and the remaining ingredients in a large pot and cover it. Bring it to a boil and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes. Transfer to a heat-proof punch bowl or crockpot. Float the orange and cinnamon sticks. Serve in heat-proof punch cups. Makes 30-40 servings. A Note on Punch bowls:
Eighteenth century pottery punch bowls were never sold as part of a dinner service, but would be ordered individually to match the service in use.
"American Version":
Cook Time: 3 hours, 00 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1 Gallon apple cider
* 2 C. cranberry juice
* 1/2 C honey
* 1/2 C sugar
* 2 oranges
* Whole cloves
* 1 apple, peeled and diced
* Allspice
* Ginger
* Nutmeg
* 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
* 1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)
Preparation:
Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste -- usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.
Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.
A Traditional Shropshire Wassail Recipe – for hardened Wassailers!
* 10 very small apples
* 1 large orange stuck with whole cloves
* 10 teaspoons brown sugar
* 2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
* 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3 cloves
* 3 allspice berries
* 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
* 2 cups castor sugar
* 12 to 20 pints of cider according to the number of guests
* 1 cup (or as much as you like) brandy
Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water.
Insert cloves into the orange about 1/2" apart. Bake the orange with the apples in a 350° oven. After about 30 minutes, remove the orange and puncture it in several places with a fork or an ice pick.
Combine the sherry or Madeira, cider, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar, apple and orange juice and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat slowly without letting the mixture come to a boil. Leave on very low heat. Strain the wine mixture and add the brandy.
Pour into a metal punch bowl, or let simmer on the stove top, float the apples and orange on top and ladle hot into punch cups.
Makes enough for 15-20 people – but we always wish we had made more!
Wassail - the ‘soft’ option
* 1 large orange stuck with whole cloves
* 4 Litres apple cider or apple juice
* 2 Litres soft fruit juice (we like peach)
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
* 6 cinnamon sticks
Insert cloves into the orange about 1/2" apart. Bake the orange in a 350° oven. After about 30 minutes, remove the orange and puncture it in several places with a fork or an ice pick. Place the orange and the remaining ingredients in a large pot and cover it. Bring it to a boil and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes. Transfer to a heat-proof punch bowl or crockpot. Float the orange and cinnamon sticks. Serve in heat-proof punch cups. Makes 30-40 servings. A Note on Punch bowls:
Eighteenth century pottery punch bowls were never sold as part of a dinner service, but would be ordered individually to match the service in use.
"American Version":
Cook Time: 3 hours, 00 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1 Gallon apple cider
* 2 C. cranberry juice
* 1/2 C honey
* 1/2 C sugar
* 2 oranges
* Whole cloves
* 1 apple, peeled and diced
* Allspice
* Ginger
* Nutmeg
* 3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
* 1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)
Preparation:
Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste -- usually a couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. Finally, snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add those as well.
Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.