Wassail

[AngelsSix]

Has anyone tried this?? It's a festive holiday drink we make each year at Christmas. I have tried a few different versions and they generally get a little addition here and there to taste. The smell coming from the crock pot while this brews is amazing.

I like my wassail with a few dashes of holiday cheer, if you know what I mean (wink, wink, say no more....).

[SF_BHT]

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

Has anyone tried this?? It's a festive holiday drink we make each year at Christmas. I have tried a few different versions and they generally get a little addition here and there to taste. The smell coming from the crock pot while this brews is amazing.

I like my wassail with a few dashes of holiday cheer, if you know what I mean (wink, wink, say no more....).

OK tell us how you make it IE: Recipe......

[Kyobanim]

Actually, the original form of wassail was equivalent to a christmas beer. The term wassailing comes from, when in days of old, people would go wassailing, (singing for beer, sounds like fun). It was a bowl of spiced beer that was given to the carrolers.

Wassail originally was served to celebrate the winter solcetice. (sp).

[JJ_BPK]

This thread is going no where without a recipe, picture, or dirty joke...

[sf11b_p]

Recipes found, no personal experience with them.

"Here we come a-wassailing..." goes the song. What exactly does that mean? Wassail is a fairly stiff brew that made the holidays all the more festive for Merry Old England. However, there were many out there who simply could not afford the cost of the ingredients, but they wanted to share in the spirit of the season. Carolers soon found out that if they went door to door singing they were often invited in for a cup of hot wassail. So the meaning gradually changed from caroling, simply singing for its own reward, to wassailing, singing in anticipation of a nice shot. Here is a recipe for traditional wassail and it will definitely warm you to your toes!

10 very small apples
1 large orange stuck with whole cloves
10 teaspoons brown sugar
2 bottles dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves
3 allspice berries
2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
2 cups extra fine sugar
12 to 20 pints of cider according to the number of guests
1 cup (or as much as you like) brandy

1. Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water.

2. Insert cloves into the orange about 1/2" apart.

3. Bake the orange with the apples in a 350° oven. After about 30 minutes, remove the orange and puncture it in several places with a fork or an ice pick.

4. Combine the red wine, cider, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar, apple and orange juice and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat slowly without letting the mixture come to a boil.

5. Simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.

6. Strain the wine mixture and add the brandy.

7. Pour into a metal punch bowl, float the apples and orange on top and ladle hot into punch cups.

Makes enough for 15-20 people.
http://www.abigslice.com/wassail.html

A Traditional Shropshire Wassail Recipe

10 very small apples
1 large orange stuck with whole cloves
10 teaspoons brown sugar
2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves
3 allspice berries
2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
2 cups castor sugar
12 to 20 pints of cider according to the number of guests
1 cup (or as much as you like) brandy

Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water.

Insert cloves into the orange about 1/2" apart.
Bake the orange with the apples in a 350° oven.
After about 30 minutes, remove the orange and puncture it in several places with a fork or an ice pick.

Combine the sherry or Madeira, cider, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar, apple and orange juice and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat slowly without letting the mixture come to a boil.
Leave on very low heat.
Strain the wine mixture and add the brandy.

Pour into a metal punch bowl, float the apples and orange on top and ladle hot into punch cups.

Makes enough for 15-20 people
http://www.history.uk.com/recipes/index.php?archive=31

Wassail

House & Garden Drink Guide | November 1973

main ingredients Sherry, Egg, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Apple, Brandy

yield: Makes about 10 servings

Ingredients

* 10 small apples
* 10 teaspoons brown sugar
* 2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
* 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3 cloves
* 3 allspice berries
* 1 inch stick cinnamon
* 2 cups superfine sugar
* 1/2 cup water
* 6 eggs, separated
* 1 cup brandy

Preparation

Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Combine the sherry or Madeira, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat without letting the mixture come to a boil. Leave on very low heat. Beat the egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Beat the whites until stiff and fold them into the yolks. Strain the wine mixture and add gradually to the eggs, stirring constantly. Add the brandy. Pour into a metal punch bowl, float the apples on top and serve in 8-ounce mugs.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...Wassail-102329

Two more chances to get your wassail on.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/212/

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,wassail,FF.html

Merry Christmas!

[AngelsSix]

Here's the one I used and we did some substitutions. I had no idea wth aromatic bitters were, so I left that out. I also used Spiced Rum as opposed to the plain stuff. It came out pretty good.


Category: Wassail
Serves/Makes: 18 | Difficulty Level: 2 | Ready In: > 5 hrs

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
2 quarts apple juice
1 pint cranberry juice
1 teaspoon aromatic bitters
1 cup rum
2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 small orange -- studded with cloves