Yule is a wonderful time to bring family and friends together, and like our ancestors, plan out what our next year will look like. There is nothing that feels better than sharing ideas, plans and love with family during these times. These yule recipes will help you bring a little extra cheer to your table this year!
Mulled Wine
This delicious recipe is best enjoyed in front of a roaring fire!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Bottle of Semi-sweet red wine (such as Merlot or Malbec)
1 Ounce of Mulling Spices
1/4 Cup of Honey
1/4 of Orange Juice
Garnish: 6″ Organic Cinnamon Sticks (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
- 1. Put the wine in a medium pot and bring it to a low simmer.
- 2. Once it is bubbling, add the Mulling Spices
- 3. Cover it, reduce heat to low and mull for approximately 2 hours
- 4. When you are ready to serve, strain out the Mulling Spices, then put it back in the pot and add the honey and orange juice. Make sure the honey dissolves completely.
- 5. Serve with Garnish if needed – can be served either hot or cold – Makes approximately 4 cups!
Wassail 
In some Wassail traditions, the spiced cider was offered as an ancient honor to the trees. In wintertime, wassailers would prepare the traditional wassail – soaking pieces of bread, cake or toast in it – and travel from apple orchard to apple orchard in effort to ensure a good harvest for the coming year. Wassail-soaked pieces of bread or toast were then buried at the trees’ roots or hung in the trees’ branches to appease the tree spirits and feed them well until the next harvest. This traditional wassail recipe features hard cider, sugar-roasted apples, brandy and sweet spices. It is a simple, old-fashioned recipe. We found this wonderful recipe by Jenny McGruther at nourishedkitchen.com!
Ingredients
4 small apples
¼ cup unrefined cane sugar
1 medium orange
13 Organic Whole Cloves
2 quarts hard apple cider
½ cup brandy
1 tbsp Organic Ginger Root Powder
1 tsp Organic Powdered Nutmeg
6 Organic Allspice Berries, Whole
2 to three 2-3″ Organic Cinnamon Sticks
6 large eggs, (separated)
toast, (optional, to serve with)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Scoop out the core of the apples without fully penetrating the apple – a melon baller works well. Fill each apple with about a tablespoon of unrefined cane sugar.
- Place the apples in the baking sheet. Stud an orange with thirteen Organic Whole Cloves and place it in the baking sheet. Bake the apples and orange together for forty minutes.
- While the apples and orange bake, pour apple cider and brandy into a heavy-bottomed stock pot and warm over moderately low heat.
- Whisk in Organic Ginger Root Powder and Organic Powdered Nutmeg. Do not bring the wassail to a boil.
- Cut a small square of the butter muslin and place Organic Allspice Berries, Whole and 2-3″ Organic Cinnamon Sticks into the square; tie with 100% cotton cooking twine and float this sachet of spices in the wassail as it warms.
- Beat egg yolks until light in color and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolks into whites, then temper the eggs by slowly pouring one-half cup wassail into the eggs.
- Remove the spice sachet from the wassail and pour in the tempered eggs. Transfer to a punch bowl. Float baked apples and orange in the wassail and serve by the mug, topping each mug with a small slice of toast if desired.
Yule Plum Pudding
The Yule plum pudding is considered a symbol of good luck and success in the coming year, so why not turn it into an addition to your magical menu? As you stir up your batter, visualize your intent. Direct energy into the pudding, focusing on health, prosperity and good fortune in the coming new year!
INGREDIENTS
Fruit Mixture (To be made 4 days ahead)
1 pound seedless raisins
1 pound sultana raisins
1/2 pound currants
1 cup thinly sliced citron (can be replaced with grapefruit and lemon)
1 cup chopped candied peel
1 teaspoon Organic Cinnamon Powder
1/2 teaspoon Organic Mace (ground into powder)
1/2 teaspoon Organic Powdered Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Organic Clove Powder
1/4 teaspoon Organic Allspice Powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Organic Black Pepper
1 pound finely chopped suet – powdery fine (can substitute with lard or vegetable shortening)
1 1/4 cups cognac
Pudding
1 1/4 pounds (approximately) fresh bread crumbs
1 cup scalded milk
1 cup sherry or port
12 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Cognac
PREPARATION
- Blend the fruits, citron, peel, spices and suet and place in a bowl or jar. Add 1/4 cup cognac, cover tightly and refrigerate for 4 days, adding 1/4 cup cognac each day.
- Soak the bread crumbs in milk and sherry or port.
- Combine the well-beaten eggs and sugar. Blend with the fruit mixture. Add salt and mix thoroughly.
- Put the pudding in buttered bowls or tins, filling them about 2/3 full. Cover with foil and tie it firmly.
- Steam for 6-7 hours. Uncover and place in a 250°F. oven for 30 minutes. Add a dash of cognac to each pudding, cover with foil and keep in a cool place.
- To use, steam again for 2-3 hours and unmold. Sprinkle with sugar; add heated cognac.
- Ignite and bring to the table. Serve with hard sauce or cognac sauce.
We hope you enjoy these recipes! We would love to see the pictures of what you created!!
