Finnish Jul GlÖgg Recipes

TRADITIONAL SWEDISH GLöGG

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the wine, bourbon or vodka (if using), sugar, orange zest, raisins, cardamom pods, ginger root, cinnamon stick, and cloves into a 2- to 3-quart pot. Heat to 175 F (77 C) and let simmer for 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let stand and steep for 1 hour.
• Strain to remove the fruit and spices and gently reheat the punch.
• Add a few slivered almonds and raisins to each serving glass and garnish with a slice of orange, and serve.

OLD-FASHIONED SWEDISH GLOGG

Steps:

• Heat the port wine over medium heat until just below the simmer point in a large stockpot with a lid. Add bourbon and rum, and bring back to just below simmering. Save the bottles and their caps for storing leftover glogg.
• While the wine and liquors are heating, place the cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel onto the center of the square of cheesecloth. Gather together the edges of the cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to secure.
• When mixture is very hot but not boiling, carefully light it with a long-handled match. Wearing a heatproof cooking mitt, carefully pour the sugar into the flames, and let the mixture burn for 1 minute. Put the lid on the stockpot to extinguish the flames, and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool, covered, for about 10 minutes; add the cheesecloth bundle of spices and the raisins and almonds to the warm wine mixture and let it cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Strain the cooled glogg and reserve the raisins and almonds.
• To store, pour strained glogg into the bottles, recap, and keep upright in a cool dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate the steeped raisins and almonds in a covered bowl or jar for up to 1 year.
• To serve, pour glogg into a saucepan and warm over low-medium heat until hot but not simmering, about 5 minutes. Ladle 3 ounces of warmed glogg into a small coffee cup or small Swedish-style glogg mug, and garnish each serving with a few reserved raisins and almonds.

NON-ALCOHOL GLöGG (FINNISH CHRISTMAS HOT SPICED PUNCH)

Steps:

• In large kettle, combine all ingredients.
• Heat slowly, until the drink is steaming hot.
• Stir occasionally.
• Be careful not to allow it to boil, just keep it warm.

FINNISH JUL GLÖGG

Steps:

• For best flavor, prepare the spice mixture 1-2 days prior to serving. Mix equal portions of all the wines (about one cup each) in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and dissolve over low heat. Place the cloves, cardamom and orange peel in a piece of cheesecloth and bind into a small pouch with string. Add the spice pouch and cinnamon to the wine mixture. Slowly raise heat to a simmer (do not boil!) and cook for about an hour. Remove from heat and cover; allow mixture to cool to room temperature, transfer to an inert container and chill in refrigerator at least overnight (leave spice pouch and cinnamon in mixture to steep). One half hour before serving, pour the spice mixture into a saucepan. Add the rest of the wines, figs, raisins, almonds and brandy (optional) to the spice mixture and heat over low to medium heat until very hot. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil. Serve in mugs. Enjoy!