Mulled wine granita

One thing I'll miss from living in Europe, is the northern hemisphere Christmas. Wrapped up in your many layers, at Christmas markets outside, holding a steaming, cup of mulled wine .. Awesome! An experience I recommend to everyone!

Still, hardly an experience I can replicate here - Christmas here in Sydney is glorious and hot. We're outside, but holding onto an icy cold drink.

So how to somehow combine the two? Mulled wine granita!!

Ingredients:

• 100g caster sugar
• 300ml water
• 400ml red wine (preferably cabernet sauvignon)
• juice from 2 oranges
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves
• 2 tablespoons of Beerenburg blackberry jam

Method:

• Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Simmer until the mixture starts to thicken (takes approximately 5 minutes). Pour into a jug put aside.
• Put wine, orange juice, spices and and blackberry jam into a saucepan and heat, stirring until the jam has dissolved. Allow to simmer until alcohol has evaporated (or not depending on your preference!).
• Pour the sugar syrup into the wine mixture, stirring until mixed. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a container and place in freezer.
• Once frozen, take a fork and break up frozen mulled wine into flakes.

Easy! A (sp)icy cold glass of mulled wine!

Sugar and spice and all things nice,
la chouquette sucrée