After years of serving mulled wine, we realized that the popular garnishes are wasteful: They can’t be eaten, and are tossed out. That means you, cinnamon sticks, curls of peel, raw cranberries, and star anise. So, we’ve settled on seasonal garnishes that are edible, attractive, and aromatic:

 
This article has three recipes. We start with a conventional recipe.

Next is a slow cooker alternative (jump to it, below). Slow mulling is great because it doesn’t take up a stovetop burner that you may need for cooking.

Finally, a recipe for mulled wine with vodka (jump to it, below).
 
TIPS

 
 
RECIPE #1: CRANBERRY MULLED WINE

We adapted this classic recipe from Wine And Glue.

TIP: Serve mulled wine in a glass vessel. If you don’t have glass mugs or Irish Coffee glasses, consider getting some. They’re not more than $5 apiece, and you can use them year-round for any hot beverage. Rocks glasses and stemmed wine glasses also work.

Ingredients

 
Variations

[1] The conventional garnishes look beautiful, but you can’t eat them (photo © Kitchen Treaty).

[2] Our favorite garnish: an orange wedge (edible) studded with a few cloves (photo © The Guardian).

[3] Cardamom pods. Here are more uses for them (photo © Indian Home Cooking | Clarkson Potter).

1. COMBINE all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 10 minutes. You don’t want the alcohol to evaporate.

2. SERVE warm. If you don’t have glass cups or mugs, you can also use stemmed wine glasses or rocks glasses.
 
 
 
RECIPE #2: SLOW COOKER CRANBERRY MULLED WINE

We adapted this recipe from Kate at Kitchen Treaty.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the wine, orange juice, cranberries, and sugar to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to help the sugar dissolve.

2. SCRUB the orange, stud it with cloves and add it to the pot. If you don’t have the time to insert the cloves, just toss them into the pot separately. There are two techniques to stud an orange: use a thimble on your finger (pushing in more than a few starts to dent your finger) or first make holes with an ice pick or toothpick.

3. COOK on low for 2-3 hours, until the cranberries are tender. Be sure not to boil. Remove the orange and the cinnamon sticks, then carefully pour the mulled wine through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Use the back of a large spoon to press on the cranberries and release the juices. Return the wine to the slow cooker and stir in the brandy. Taste and adjust the sweetness until it’s just sweet enough (the sweetness should be more elegant than a soft drink!).

4. LADLE into mugs, garnish as desired and serve. Keep the slow cooker on the low setting so guests can help themselves to refills. Kitchen Treaty advises that if kept on low for more than three hours, it will boil—and boil off the alcohol.
 

[4] Cranberry sticks are expensive. Here’s a trick: You can rinse them off and reuse them. They’ll lose some of their aroma, but wrap them tightly once they’re dried. Ali of Gimme Some Oven adds star anise to her recipe (photo © Gimme Some Oven.

[5] Glass mugs or rocks glasses make mulled wine look even better. And we love this edible garnish: a dried apple slice (photo © Nastasia Day | Pexels).

RECIPE #3: MULLED WINE WITH VODKA

This ingredient comes from Ocean Spray. The vodka is optional, but we highly recommend it!
 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients except the vodka, dried cranberries and almonds in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer 15 for minutes.

2. STRAIN to remove the spices. Stir in the vodka,

3. PLACE 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries and 1-1/2 teaspoons of almonds in the bottom of each glass or mug. Pour the in mulled wine and serve.
 
 
WHAT DOES “MULLED” MEAN?

According to Harvard University, the origin of the word “mull” to mean heated and spiced is shrouded in mystery. Mulling spices can include allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns and/or star anise. A “mulled” drink is one that has been prepared with these spices. The same spices can be added to the brewing process to make spiced beer.

The custom is believed to have originated in northern Europe to use wine that had gone bad. The spices covered up the off taste, along with additions such as apples, oranges and dried fruits, including raisins.

The technique is to heat the liquids with the spices and then strain them out before serving.

The expression “cup of good cheer” comes to us from Merrie Olde England, referring to hot mulled cider and wine.

Centuries later, the term evolved into a drinking toast. The wassail bowl tradition began in the 14th century in southern England, home to apple groves galore and a lot of apple cider. The first wassail bowls contained hot mulled cider. When you come across references to “a cup of good cheer,” it refers to mulled cider or wine.
 
 

For those moments when unexpected guests arrive for Christmas, or when acquaintances give you an unexpected gift—we have a strategy:

Make homemade bark or fudge in advance. They have a long shelf life; it’s easy to carry a small tin with you for chance encounters, and even people who don’t eat sweets will be pleased to have something nice to serve their own guests, or to re-gift.

It’s also a sweet gift to take on casual visits over the holidays.

Here are two holiday-accented options, plus the difference between cream and creme.
 
 
RECIPE #1: CHOCOLATE ORANGE PISTACHIO BARK

Using salted pistachios gives this bark the popular sweet-and-salty profile. We adapted this recipe from one by the Florida Orange Juice.

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce to ¼ cup and cool.

2. MELT the chocolate over a double boiler. While the chocolate melts, stir occasionally as you…

3. LINE a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment to a ¼-inch thickness. Swirl in the cooled orange juice with a spatula, creating thin channels in the chocolate.

4. SPRINKLE the cranberries and pistachios over the chocolate and lightly press. When the chocolate is completely hardened…

5. BREAK into pieces and package. For home gifting, a simple box or gift bag with a ribbon is fine (wrap the pieces in wax paper for protection). For toting around, consider something more durable. For longer storage, keep it in an airtight container.
 
 
RECIPE #2: WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY FUDGE

We adapted this snowy holiday fudge from Mom On Timeout (love that name!).

It’s just the thing to take over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house…or to the neighbors next door.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. LINE a 9″ x13″ baking dish with parchment or foil; lightly spray with cooking spray.

2. COMBINE the sugar, sour cream, butter, and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, to the soft ball stage (238°F on a food thermometer).

3. REMOVE from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until completely melted. Stir in the marshmallow cream and vanilla extract until completely blended. Next, blend in the dried cranberries. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and cool to room temperature. If you want a green accent, add it now. Then…

4. PLACE the pan in the fridge for several hours or overnight, before cutting into squares.

5. STORE in an airtight container. For home gifting, a simple box or gift bag with a ribbon is fine (wrap the pieces in wax paper for protection). For toting around, consider something more durable. For longer storage, keep in an airtight container.

[1] Chocolate bark with holiday accents (photo © Close Encounters Of The Cooking Kind).

[2] Use a quality chocolate bar like Lindt (photo © Lindt).

[3] Snowy Christmas fudge from Mom On Time Out.

[4] Dried cranberries from Ocean Spray. Their Craisins are simply branded dried cranberries.

[5] Want a garnish? Make candied mint leaves—the smaller the better. You can chop them after they’re candied. Press them into the fudge when it has cooled (photo and recipe © Emjay’s Imagination).

What’s the difference between creme and cream? Why do you see “creme pie” and “cream pie” for the same thing? The answer: error which evolved into common usage.

Crème, pronounced KREHM, is the French word for cream. In America, French recipes were served at the tables of the wealthy, most of whom knew how to write and pronounce French properly.

As these recipes entered the mainstream, people who did not know French began to pronounce crème (KREHM) as (KREEM), and dispensed with the accent mark: hence, creme. This mashup of French and English became acceptable, and over time, “creme” was used for American dishes like cream pie, because “creme” looked fancier (i.e., French-associated was better).

To display your erudition when discussing a French dish, e.g. Crème Brûlée, use crème; when discussing an American dish, e.g. Chocolate Cream Pie, use cream. 
 
 
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*How To Measure Chopped Chocolate: Six ounces of chocolate chips equals 1 cup. If you chop the chocolate the size of chips, this conversion will work. Unless dry ingredients are finely ground, like flour and sugar, so they completely fill the cup measure, it’s difficult to get a precise measurement (e.g., one cup of blueberries). This is why professional recipes give measure in ounces, not cups. You can use white chocolate chips, but you’ll get better chocolate flavor from a premium chocolate bar.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] These Christmas Twizzlers are available at Target and elsewhere (photo courtesy Candy Warehouse). [2] You can buy the artisan version from confectioners. These are sold on Etsy by Nicole’s Treats. [3] Wowsa: a kid’s fantasy Christmas Cake from Cake Whiz. Underneath: a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.

We love chocolate-covered apples-on-a-stick, bacon strips, berries, citrus peel, cookies, dried fruit (apricots and figs are our favorites [sorry, raisins]), graham crackers, gummies, ice cream pops, maraschino cherries, marshmallows, nuts, orange segments, popcorn, pretzels and potato chips. You can buy them or make them.

What we haven’t tried:

Chocolate-covered baby octopus, calamari, carrots, insects, Cheetos, corn dogs, edamame, garlic, jalapeños, jerky, kimchi and seaweed (from Korea), mashed potatoes (a Paula Deen recipe), onions, pickles, roses (real roses on their stems!), Slim Jims and wasabi peas.

One source even recommended dipping these latter items in chocolate fondue!

So today’s proposal, chocolate-covered licorice, should not sound far out. For licorice lovers, it’s quite a tasty variation.

While it’s the week before Christmas and we propose a red-and-green theme, you can use this easy recipe for any holiday where the licorice stick colors work (black, brown, green, orange, purple, red, yellow-green, etc. (Check out the colors at Candy Warehouse.)
 
CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHRISTMAS LICORICE

Twizzlers makes red, green and white twist (photo #1), which you can find at Target, Candy Warehouse and elsewhere.
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE COVERED LICORICE
(OR OTHER CONFECTION)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT the licorice sticks in half. You can skip this step, but the half-sticks are easier to eat, and more size-appropriate when covered in chocolate.

2. MELT the white chocolate in the microwave. We used a pie plate, which makes it easy to dip the licorice.

3. TINT the white chocolate green. If you like, you can keep some of the batch white for drizzling over the green chocolate.

4. DIP the licorice and set on wax paper to dry.

TIP #2: If you plan to store the licorice for a few days or longer, cut the wax paper in sizes that fit into the container. Then, just lift the wax paper and pop the sheet(s) into the storage container.

5. DRIZZLE the optional white chocolate or add the sprinkles promptly, before the chocolate sets. If not using the same day…

6. STORE in an airtight containe. We used our Le Creuset red rectangular baking dish, which makes a beautiful presentation; but you can use any baking pan and plastic wrap. Store at room temperature.
 
WHY IS LICORICE PRONOUNCED LICORISH?

The Scots pronounce it “licoriss,” from the Old French “licoresse.” In England and the U.S., it is “licorish.” Here are two theories as to why:

 
The history of licorice.
 
  

We have fun looking for a different red and green combination at every meal.

 
Last year’s red and green food recipes include:

 
Today, we suggest a red and green “Christmas salad.”

The popular Caprese Salad is certainly red and green enough, but in the winter, when conventional tomatoes are out of season, you need to substitute: cherry or grape tomatoes, marinated sundried tomatoes, peppadews, pimientos (jarred red peppers), red bell peppers, etc.

You can serve something as simple as a beet and avocado salad. No prep is required, beyond slicing the avocado. The peeled, cooked ready-to-eat beets from Love Beets and other brands are terrific.

Then, just assemble the first three ingredients and drizzle the dressing (or place the dressing on the plate first).

 
Or, make a green salad from:

 
Whatever salad you choose, take this tip from KBlog: cut slices of toast into star shapes with a cookie cutter, and top your salad with a big star. Starfruit (carambola) also works.
 
SALAD HISTORY: WHY IS IT CALLED “SALAD” IF THERE ARE NO SALAD GREENS?

The original meaning of salad in European cuisine referred to a cold dish consisting of vegetables—lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers—topped with a dressing. Sometimes it containing seafood, meat, or eggs (think egg salad, tuna salad, etc.).

The modern word, which entered Middle English around 1350-1400, derives from the French salade, which dates back to the Latin salata, salty. Since Roman times, vegetables were seasoned with brine or salty oil-and-vinegar dressings.

The ancient Greeks and Romans alike ate mixed greens with dressing. Salads, both layered and dressed, were made popular in Europe by Roman imperial expansion (27 B.C.E. to 284 C.E.)

In the 1699 book, Acetaria: A Discourse on Sallets, John Evelyn attempted with little success to encourage his fellow Britons to eat fresh salad greens. (You can still find reprints in hardcover and digital versions.

[1] Beet salad with red pickled onions and green accents (photo Sarsmis | IST). [2] Another beet salad, green with avocado and a balsamic reduction (photo courtesy Bar Eolo | NYC). [3] Kathy Patalsky of KBlog.LunchboxBunch.com tops her Christmas Tree Salad with a star-shaped toast crouton. Here’s her recipe. [4] Red endive and leafy lettuce with candied walnuts, from Gordon Ramsay.

In the U.S. and Europe, salads of mixed greens salads (“green salads”) became popular in the late 19th century, and the concept expanded to Asia and other regions of the world.

The term “salad bar,” referring to a buffet laid out with salad-making ingredients so customers could make their own, seems to date to the 1960s. Restaurants in different parts of the country lay claim to its invention, including New York City’s Steak & Ale and Hawaii’s Chuck’’s Steak House. The attraction was the ability to customize one’s salad—and eat as much as you wanted (more history).

In truth, for centuries inns and boarding houses placed the food on a buffet for guests to help themselves (the “board” from “room and board”).

________________
*When tomatoes are out of season, cherry and grape tomatoes, raised in hothouses, have the best flavor. You can Substitute marinated sundried tomatoes, pimiento, red bell pepper, etc.

†The phrase is found in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra at the end of Act 1, when Cleopatra regrets her youthful dalliances with Julius Caesar: “…My salad days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood…”.

[5] Look for specialty salad greens like red mustard greens and chard (photo courtesy Good Eggs | SF). [6] Peppadews (photo courtesy Murray’s Cheese). [7] Castelvetrano olives (photo courtesy The Maiden Lane | NYC).

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) enjoyed salads of boiled celery root over greens. covered with creamy mustard dressing, truffles, chervil, and slices of hard-boiled eggs.

The phrase “salad days,” meaning a “time of youthful inexperience,” i.e. a young person who is “green,” was coined by Shakespeare†, in 1606.

Today, salads range far beyond the green salads (garden salads) of the 20th century—a concept so prevalent that in the U.S., the word salad unmodified (i.e., corn salad) refers to a green salad with torn, bite-size lettuce and other ingredients cut into small pieces.

But there other options that are rightfully called “salad”:

 
Most salads are served cold, although warm vegetable salads are not uncommon, and classics such as German potato salad have always been served warm.
 
Salads can be served at any point during a meal:

 
MORE CHRISTMAS SALAD IDEAS

Salad Snack Tree

Christmas Stuffed Avocado

[1] The original Biscoff Spread, used for filling cookie sandwiches at Picky Palate. [2] The European name for Biscoff Spread is Speculoos (photo courtesy Dutch Shop). [3] Trader Joe’s three private label versions include original, crunchy and cocoa swirl (photo courtesy Baking Bites). [4] A favorite flavor, from Tumbador Chocolate. [5] Even health food stores sell cookie butter—as a protein boost (photo courtesy Nuts & More).

Where did the cookie butter craze originate? In Belgium!

THE HISTORY OF SPECULOOS SPREAD (CALLED BISCOFF SPREAD IN THE U.S.)

Cookie spread or cookie butter began as an entry in a contest sponsored by Belgium-based Lotus Bakeries.

Lotus is the maker of Speculoos (spice) brand cookies, known the world over (and called Biscoff in some countries). Els Scheppers, a contestant on the reality show The Inventors (De Bedenker), pulverized the cookies and mixed them into “the original speculoos pasta*.”

It wasn’t that far-fetched an idea, but it was a great one. Belgian parents (including Scheppers) were already making sandwichs of buttered bread, the butter topped with crushed Biscoff cookies.

She didn’t win the contest, but Lotus Bakeries approached her to obtain the exclusive rights to sell the Biscoff spread.

They are actually called speculoos (spice) cookies in Europe, but the name was deemed too hard for Americans to pronounce. Because the biscuits were so popular with coffee, the cookies were rebranded as Biscoff for the U.S. market. (It may look like peanut butter, but it’s nut-free.)

After its arrival on these shores, companies large and small jumped on the bandwagon. Home cooked created Biscoff cupcakes with Biscoff frosting (here’s the recipe).

Hershey’s and other large companies made cookie spreads. They were made in conventional cookie flavors, plus Chocolate Macaroon and Pumpkin Spice.

Even health-oriented stores sell it, manufactured from Nuts & More, a company that got Shark Tank funding. Their “High Protein + Peanut Spreads” include Toffee Crunch and White Chocolate, among other flavors.
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*Pasta is derived from the Latin word for paste. In Europe it is used to describe foods from spaghetti (a paste of flour and water) to meat loaf (a paste of ground meat and fat to the fruit squares (pâte de fruit) that we call fruit gels.

 
COOKIE SPREAD/BUTTER VERSUS NUT BUTTER

Before we go further, let us emphasize that cookie butter is not a substitute for peanut [or other nut/seed] butter.

They may be touted as alternatives to nut butters, but that’s only in spreadability, not in nutrition. They are better compared to chocolate spreads. To avoid confusing consumers, all of the cookie-based spreads should be called cookie spreads, not cookie butters.

 
MAKE YOUR OWN COOKIE SPREAD

You can use any cookie that can be ground into a powder. This leaves out oatmeal raisin (but plain oatmeal is OK), chocolate chip, anything with nuts or a filling. Don’t despair if this eliminates your favorite: You can add these “textured” ingredients as mix-ins after the butter/spread is blended.

Some options:

 
You can add in anything else that can be smoothly blended or ground:

RECIPE: COOKIE SPREAD OR COOKIE BUTTER

You can keep the spread in the fridge for 14 days, maybe more. If you’re giving it as a gift, note the expiration date on the label.

If you want to make a homemade version of Biscoff Spread, here’s a recipe.
 
Ingredients Per 14-Ounce Batch
 
For The Spread

 
For The Mix-Ins

 
For Serving

 
You can serve just one type of cookie; but a selection is more fun.
 
For Gift-Giving

 
Preparation

1. GRIND the cookies in a food processor until very fine. Measure out 2 cups.

2. ADD the crumbs back into the food processor along with the cream, butter and sugar; process until well combined. If the dip is too thick for you, add cream a bit at a time to thin it.

[6] Make cookie spread gifts and party favors (photo courtesy The Cottage Market). [7] Consider double-cookie-spread cupcakes. Sweet As A Cookie went all the way and created this recipe with Biscoff spread in both.

We couldn’t sign off without showing you this Biscoff Cheesecake.