Starting 2011 with sharing my last two Christmas recipes

I know it is 2011, so the Christmas of 2010 is already over and done with. Anyway I would like to share my last two Christmas recipes with you.

White Christmas gløgg (mulled wine based on white wine):

A former colleague has shared this recipe with me. I find that mulled wine based on red wine really needs to be consumed hot in order for me to like the taste. Whereas mulled wine based on white wine is more refreshing in taste and therefore drinkable both warm and colder. This is my opinion, which you do not need to share. However, try once to make mulled wine based on white wine instead of the usual red wine and taste the difference.

As spices you need:

• cloves - grounded light
• allspice - grounded light
• cardamon - grounded light
• ginger - dried - whole
• cinnamon - whole
• star anise - whole

Put the spices in a tea bag, which makes it so much easier to remove those, when needed. Close the tea bag with a knot.

• 1 part mixed elderflower cordial - mixed with water
• 1 part apple juice - NOT from concentrate
• 1 part white wine

Mix elderflower and apple juice in a big cooking pot and place the tea bag(s) with spices in the liquid.
Place the mix cold night over.

Add the white wine. If you would like to have a "strong" mulled wine you should also add some aquavit without flavour (Brøndum snaps) or vodka.
Heat up to you see "steam" evaporating, the mulled wine should NOT boil, as you will loose the alcohol.

In each serving glass place a slice of an orange - use organic, so the peel is not loaded with chemicals. Also add a part of whole cinnamon as decorating item. Put in one teaspoon of light coloured raisins and one teaspoon almond splits.

Drink and enjoy












Ris à l´amande (Traditional Danish rice pudding with warm cherry sauce) - 4 persons:

In December Ris à l´amande is THE Christmas dessert in Denmark. And the majority of Danes will have their own very, very specific tradition on how the "fight" for the whole almond should be done in order to win the almond gift. Personally I just like to eat my portion of ris à l´amande enjoying very single spoonful of it without wondering, if this spoonful contains the whole almond, so I prefer to serve ris à l´amande without THE whole almond. Now the wast majority of Danes will think, that I am strange !!!!!

Also ris à l´amande used to one of the more challenging dessert for me to make, as I normally always manage to burn the rice porridge, when it is cooking. But in 2009 I found the trick to cook rise porridge without getting the usual visit from Mikkel the Fox with his red tail. You can say, that I found "salvation" in Tupperware in form of the Easy Rice cooker :-))

• 2 dl porridge rice
• 6 dl water
• 2 dl milk
• ½ vanilla pod
• 1-2 tabelspoon sugar
• almond split from 10 almonds without skin
• 2-2½ dl dairy whipping cream - 38% fat
• cherry sauce

Cook the rice and water in the EasyRice cooker in the microwave oven - 15 minutes - 800 W.  Do NOT cook the rice porridge with the milk in the EasyRice cooker as you will damage your Tupperware plastic thing

Take the EasyRice cooker out of the microwave oven.

Add the milk together with vanilla corns as well as the vanilla pod in the Mircroplus pot. Heat it up to the boiling point.
Mix the warm milk with the rice in the EasyRice cooker and leave it for 10 minute. Also add sugar.
After 10 minutes cold down the rice porridge.
Meanwhile whipped the cream.

Do not forget to remove the vanilla pod.
Mix cold rice porridge, almond splits and cream together, gentle mixing.
Heat up the cherry sauce.
If you are whole almond believer do NOT forget to mix in this almond or you will be in big trouble with your family and guests.

Serve and enjoy