On The Seventeenth Day of Christmas: [DANSK] Hvid Glögg

Ah yes. Yesterday was all about the Julestue - our Christmas Open House for family and friends. It's third year in a row we're doing it and I love it. There's something about gathering the people you love around you, treating them well and stuff them with goodies of the drinkable and edible kind.

I try to be organized when I throw these things. Even more so this year, 'cause Martin was working. The two last years, my Bonus-Mom C's also been around before the guests arrived - it is usually our Christmas Cookie Baking Day - but this year, she had to be somewhere else (it was her godson's birthday. Pshs! ;)). So she wasn't there either - I was all by myself. Not that I mind. But as I said, I try to be organized. I didn't say I always manage...

Drinks - those I managed. Coffee, tea, lots of cold water, dad-in-law brought cold beers and then I made white glögg. One of the good things about glögg is that you can make the extract well in advance, and then all you have to do is heat it up before you serve it. That does mean you need to make sure you have a heat-source of some kind available, and not, say, occupied by æbleskive-pander... But one can only be so well-planned.

Glögg made from red wine is the traditional thing, but we've made this white glögg for the last two years, and I think we're going to keep it up. I find the red version to become a little sickly sweet fast, while this white one is a little fresher. I haven't tried it with cider yet, but can only imagine it to be good. Oh yes, and don't splurge on a fancy bottle of wine - you're going to load it with spices, rum and sugar anyways, so it would be a shame to use that lovely Chablis you got from work. Something cheap-ish, but okay, and fresh, not something that's been open for four weeks. You get it, right?

White Glögg - from Camilla Plum, again

makes about 12 glasses (depending on the size, of course!) - I serve it in small glasses and probably get about 16. Glögg is a thing you love and want more of, or have one glass of because 'tis the season and all, but really, you don't appreciate it all that much. With small glasses, it's possible to have just that obligatory glass and then the people that love it can go get themselves a refill in the kitchen. You could choose to put a couple pitchers or thermos with glögg on the table too, just make sure it's warm when it's served. Pitchers will lose heat fast, and thermos will take up the taste of the warm wine, so for me, the "refill's are in the kitchen!" works best. Plus it's a great way to lure people into the kitchen, and maybe have them lend a hand with the dishes at the same time :)

2 bottles white wine/real cider (1,5 liter total)
200 ml. dark rum (maybe more?)
4 star anise
4 thick slices ginger
half nutmeg
20 black peppercorns
2 cinammon sticks
4 all spice berries
4 juniper berries
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Piece of one bay leaf
Zest of 1 lemon
cane sugar

Crush the spices lightly in a mortar - put them, together with the lemon zest and 500 ml. water, in a pot and let it simmer for half an hour. Leave to infuse for at least a day - I've left mine for up to 14 days with no problems.

When ready to drink, sieve the extract into a pot, and mix it with the wine/cider. Heat it till just below boiling - do not let it boil, ever, you'll boil away the alcohol ;) - and add sugar and rum to taste. Serve straight away. If you wish, you can also add yellow or green raisins, soaked in rum, to the glasses. Sometimes, people put in slivered almonds as well, but I personally think it's overkill. It's good in the red version though.