Wassail

[Constance]

This is a basic recipe for Wassail. Drinking Wassail is an age old winter custom. It is drunk at Christmas time, New Years, and the Twelfth Night. Wassail is a greeting, meaning "Be in good health!".
traditionally, it's drunk a large wooden community bowl, but you can use your punch bowl and mugs.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Quart Ale
* Nutmeg (to taste)
* Ginger (to taste)
* Grated Lemon Peel (to taste)
* 3 eggs
* 4 oz. Powdered sugar
* 1 Quart Rum or brandy

PREPARATION:
Heat ale to almost boiling with spices. Beat eggs with sugar while ale is heating up. Combine both into a large pitcher. Put Rum or Brandy into another large pitcher & turn from one to another until mixed well. Pour into punch bowl and serve hot.
You may add small roasted apples for authenticity, if you wish. 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. Float apples in punchbowl.

*Note...I've never tasted this, but it sure looks good!

 

[Ishbel]

Carol singers here very often start their rounds by singing 'Here we come a-wassailling'...

'Here we come a-wassailling
Amongst the leaves so green
Here we come a-wassailling
So fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you
And to you, your wassail too
And God bless you and send you a
Happy new year
And God send you a happy new year.'

My wassail cup is mulled wine for the adults, fruit punch for the under-age drinkers! I think your recipe would leave most wassail drinkers flat on their backs!

 

[velochic]

An old British friend (Welsh, actually) gave me this recipe for Wassail, but it's not alcoholic, which is kind of surprising, seeing that he's Welsh. I suppose you could add a bit of rum for the adults.

Spices:
2t. nutmeg (ground with nutmeg grater)
1T. allspice
1t. cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
Grind up spices with mortar and pestle and put in a teabag. (I never saw these in the US, but they are basically empty disposable tea bags that you can put your own loose tea in... then there is little drawstring to close it up... I guess you could use cheesecloth or tie them up in a coffee filter or some such thing.)

Liquid:
1 litre apple cider (not hard)
juice of 12 oranges
juice of 4 lemons
sugar to taste
Combine liquid, add spice bag and bring up to a simmer. Simmer until taste is to your liking (for me, about 30 minutes and it's good).