There’s nothing I love more than a good mulled wine at this time of year. Honestly, what is the actual point of cold weather if I’m not going to drink all of the hot tasty things? Below is a recipe I love for mulling syrup, it’s not really a syrup as it’s pretty liquid-y, but the flavour is an absolute dream for adding to wine or cider. Plus, it’s super simple to make!

Ingredients

– 250g demerara sugar
– 2 oranges, halved and grated for zest
– 6 whole cloves
– 6 whole allspice
– 2 whole star anise
– 2 cinnamon sticks
– ¼ nutmeg, freshly grated
– small piece ginger, sliced
– 1 litre water

Instructions

– Put all the ingredients into a pan, making sure to squeeze the juices from the oranges into the mixture.

– Bring slowly to a simmer, making sure all the sugar has been completely dissolved. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool, then strain through a fine sieve and muslin cloth.

– Sterilise your bottles, then reheat the syrup, pour into the bottles while still hot and seal. It will last for around 3 months if kept in a cool, dark place.

Instructions for serving: Mix 400ml syrup with 750ml wine or cider, add some slices of orange/apple and heat!

And enjoy! Until next time, stay magic y’all.