In the north, you can't really celebrate the winter festivities without a good warm cup of gløgg. It's a dark sweet and spicy syrup you mix in hot water. The closest drink I can think of is mulled wine, but without wine (although some people add it to it). It's usually served with raisins and chopped almonds.
Since last winter, we've started to make it ourselves with our own black currant syrup and spices. The currant taste reminds me a lot of a hot toddy, and it's so comforting during the cold days ! Like a warm inner blanked to make it through the dark days.
The biggest advantage of making your own gløgg, besides the joy and fantastic smell in the house, is that you know what you pour in your cup. On the other hand, it's a funny business to harvest black currant, turn it into syrup and then freeze it without drinking it throughout summer and autumn. Christmas isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind in July-August, and yet if we don't pay attention, black currant syrup is drunk and gone by September ('cause it's just so good!).
So, here the recipe for about 1l of black currant gløgg à la Valabærjet, ready to drink:
Ingredients:
5dl homemade black currant syrup
5dl water (you can adjust to taste)
1-2dl apple juice (optional)
3 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
3 star anises
3 tbsp cardamom pods
3-4 slices of organic oranges, washed.
Chopped almonds
Raisins
Recipe:
Pour the syrup, water, oranges and spices in a cooking pot and gently bring it to simmer.
Leave it on low temperature to infuse for about 30 minutes.
Strained the gløgg before serving it in your favorite cozy cup. Add the chopped almonds and raisins on top of it.
Et voilà ! Merry Christmas and happy winter solstice !
You can also omit the water, and pour it in bottles after you’ve strained it. It makes a nice and homemade edible gift. Don’t forget to label it and indicate the amount of water that has to be added ;)
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