Thursday, December 17, 2015

Jolly Wassail Bowl (English Holiday Punch)




The Wassail bowl was a Christmas must in English homes. Carolers visited door-to-door, exchanging songs for a mug of the steaming brew.

“Wassail” is Anglo-Saxon for “Be of good health” and the word finally cam to mean the drink itself. The toast floating on the surface of the punch gave rise to the expression “to drink a toast”.

There are many versions of the recipe, but most of them are usually a base of mulled wine or cider.

2 qts. apple cider
4 cups orange juice
½ cup honey
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
4 sticks cinnamon
2 tbsp. whole cloves
2 tbsp. Allspice
½ tsp. Grated nutmeg

In a Dutch oven or large kettle combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat until hot. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain out spices before serving. Makes about 22 (4 oz) servings.

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