Friday, December 21, 2012

Winter Solstice Gets the Shaft

The shortest day of the year gets the shaft today.  Doomsday 12.21.12 has obviously not happened.  Great, now I really do have to pay for that Kindle Fire I just purchased for my son.

For those of us who do not really get that overwhelming xmas 'feeling', I guess this must be our day.  Starting tomorrow the days will get longer...   wait... who the hell wants longer days? 

Either way, I hope everyone has a beautiful, enchanting, winter solstice celebration by doing whatever it is one does to celebrate.  Perhaps you can make this recipe and enjoy an evening getting smashed on some wassail.  Start anytime.  It's 5 o'clock somewhere. 



Solstice Wassail

INGREDIENTS
 
2 pints and 1/4 cup brown ale or winter ale
 
3 or 4 cinnamon sticks
 
4 cloves
 
Zest from half a lemon
 
4 apples
 
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
 
1 cup port
 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
 
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Brandy until you get drunk (optional, but I don't see why you wouldn't)

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DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large saucepan, pour in two pints of ale. Add the cinnamon sticks, lemon zest and cloves and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Score apples around their circumferences with a knife. Place in a baking dish. Cover with 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup of ale and all of the port. Cover baking dish and place in oven, cooking for 30 minutes.

While apples are baking, place remaining sugar and spices into the saucepan, ensuring it’s well mixed.

When apples are done baking, place entire contents of baking dish into saucepan. Allow to cook over a low heat for another 30–40 minutes.

Adding Brandy is always a holiday spirit "lifter" (umm, yeah.)

Serve hot in 6-8 mugs.  

Drink until you don't care about the long day of a hangover you will have tomorrow.






 

12 comments:

  1. wait, is this an imposter? wishing everyone a HAPPY winter solstice celebrating with an orgy of wassail? will the real rotten,anti-rudolph blogger please stand up??? and dare i say it, cheers, bottoms up! ;)

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  2. You get one nice blog post a year. And this is it. :) I've got nothing against the Winter Solstice. It's xmas I hate. And I do love orgies of all kinds. :O

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  3. i'm all for let's put the x back in christmas. oh, it IS you. heh

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  4. My favorite part of Christmas is the booze! Just sayin'. Do you know that in our family there is a game that centers around which Aunt gets drunk first ... this year my money is on Aunt Lou. She got put away by Aunt Billie last year.

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  5. wow,this drink sounds strong as a storm.

    Merry Christmas, Rebeka, Joy & Peace to you!

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  6. Sounds absolutely yummy....I may try this when I get my kitchen cleaned up!

    I always say the only good thing about winter is that the days are shorter and the sun isn't right in my eyes every time I need to drive somewhere.

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    Replies
    1. I have to agree with you about the sun and one good thing about winter. Happy New Year, Kim! Thanks for the visit.

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