MULLED BERRIES IN WINE

We love a fruity pud over here, and with the generous amount of alcohol involved, this makes a lovely one for the festive season.  Although it’s served chilled, it has all the flavours of a good mulled wine about it.  My mother used to make something similar for dinner parties, and when I was old enough to start making it myself, I could see why – it’s deceptively simple, can be made in advance, and is light, unusual, and visually stunning when served in tall serving bowls or big wine glasses with candles flickering on the table.  We used to have it with a dash of pouring cream, and that’s how I serve it now, although I can understand that creamy wine may not be everyone’s cup of tea!

It probably goes without saying that you should use a nice wine rather than the cheapest vinegary red you can get your hands on.  And feel free to swap the fruit juice for extra wine, in which case add a little extra sugar and maybe some finely grated orange zest.

 

Ingredients

About 300-400g frozen berries (I use a good mix – blackberries, raspberries, currants and cherries, sometimes a few strawberries find their way in too)

2 large wine glasses red wine

1 large wine glass fruit juice (whatever you fancy – orange, cranberry or grape work well.)

1 large cinnamon stick

4 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 star anise

1 vanilla pod (optional)

Caster sugar – a few tbsp.

 

Method

Add the wine, juice, sugar (to your taste) and spices to a medium saucepan, and simmer over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Stir, add the berries, bring to the slightest boil, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the pan, before decanting to a bowl and chilling in the fridge, at least for a couple of hours (preferably overnight.)  I remove all the spices except the vanilla pod before chilling.

Tags: Berries, Mulled fruits, Mulled wine, Red wine