Warm Winter Wassail

Here in our woodland headquarters we embrace hygge/gezellig in a BIG way.  The Danes are getting the credit recently for the idea of hygge (a quality of coziness and warmth that illustrates the happy nest-y vibe that we normally feel when snuggled up with our dogs on the couch watching The Great British Baking Show) but we first discovered the idea of gezellig on a trip to Amsterdam many years ago in the brown cafes there.  The ideas are very similar but gezellig includes loved ones and good times as an important ingredient in the cozy equation that the hygge movement encourages.  While we love a quiet night in (hygge), the holiday season tends to be full of time with those we care most about (gezellig).

Nothing beats coming in from the cold with a group of friends and family, lighting some candles for a warm and inviting glow, and putting together something warm to drink. 

One classic holiday beverage is wassail, or mulled wine or cider.  You may be more familiar with wassailing as it relates to caroling, which it does, but as good little witches, we read up on our wassailing history: Wassailing refers to a Medieval ritual where groups would visit the apple orchards, recite incantations, and sing to the trees to promote a good harvest the following year. Living here in apple country, we see a LOT of trees that are going to get a good singing to next season.  Honestly - if we can do our part to ensure a bountiful cider season by the intentional consumption of wassail, we Wood Witches are here for it.  

We like to make our wassail in the slow cooker, where it can slowly simmer for hours, perfuming the entire house, and stays warm for any additional guests who trickle in.  If you don't want to go through the trouble, or you're not expecting guests, you can always pick up some Wassail scented wax melts to wrap your home in the same aroma.

Slow Cooker Wassail Recipe (two variations)

Apple Cider Wassail - approximately twelve 12 ounce servings

• 1 gallon Apple Cider - the good, cloudy kind
• 4 cups orange juice - we like the pulp free kind here, but if you are fresh squeezing it to be extra, embrace the pulp!  Cranberry juice can also be used.
• 4 apple cinnamon tea bags (or other fruit forward herbal tea)
• 10 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into slices
• 1 apple, sliced into rounds, seeds removed (this creates the most beautiful little star shape in the center of each slice)
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds, seeds removed

We prefer to tie up the ginger, cloves & cinnamon in a piece of cheesecloth so we're not chasing them out of our ladles later, but they are just fine free floating in there.  You could also use a tea ball for the ginger and cloves if you have one handy.  We definitely do not recommend serving the wassail with loose cloves or bits of ginger, as they make for an unpleasant final sip.  Our exception to this rule is when we are feeling VERY fancy - we stud the orange slices with the cloves and serve them as garnish, along with one of the cinnamon sticks. 

Place all the ingredients into your slow cooker, put the lid on, and leave to simmer for at least 4 hours on low.  Remove the tea bags, and serve straight from the pot.  

Any adults that are so inclined may welcome the addition of bourbon, rum, or brandy.

Any leftover wassail can be refrigerated and reheated as needed over the next couple of days.

Red Wine Wassail - approximately ten 5 ounce servings

Similar to above with a few tweaks:

• 2 (750ml) bottles of red wine (we like pinot noir here, but let's not split hairs - any red wine you like will work)
• 4 cups orange juice - we like the pulp free kind here, but if you are fresh squeezing it to be extra, embrace the pulp!  Cranberry juice can also be used.  Adding the zest of a fresh orange really brightens this up as well, but is not necessary.
• 4 cups of apple cider - again, the good cloudy kind if you can
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of honey (you might like more honey if you're using a drier red wine like a cab; a sweeter wine may not need it; if in doubt, start with less and add more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into slices
• 1 apple, sliced into rounds, seeds removed (this creates the most beautiful little star shape in the center of each slice)
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds, seeds removed

Same instructions as above, but take it easy on additional rum, brandy, or bourbon - this one doesn't need it!