Homemade Mulled Wine

With the holidays approaching and cold weather outside, it is the perfect time to turn on your fireplace and enjoy a cup of smooth, full-bodied homemade Mulled Wine. It is an old fragrant European concoction that is consumed during the Christmas Season, starting with the first of Advent and is served hot, traditionally at German Christmas Markets. It makes a nice drink also on New Year’s Eve.

You will need:

• 1/4 liter red wine (1 cup), like Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 slice of a lemon (rinse the lemon before use)
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice or 1 slice of an orange, optional (rinse the orange before use)
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• pinch of ground clove
• pinch of ground anise or 1 star anise, either one – not both
• 1 tablespoon rock sugar (or 4 teaspoons white granulated sugar) or to taste

This recipe makes 1 cup of Mulled Wine. Multiply the recipe for more. If using very dry wine, you might want to add more sugar to taste.

Directions:

Heat the red wine with the rest of the ingredients in a pot over medium/medium low heat until very hot, but do not allow the wine to come to a boil, for about 20 to 30 minutes. Sieve the wine using a fine mesh strainer or spoon out any fruit slices or dried spices that are used and pour it into a porcelain mug or a glass coffee mug and serve it hot. Leftovers can be reheated. Store leftover Mulled Wine without any fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, or star anise.

Grab some Macaroons or Butter Cookies and a cup of hot Mulled Wine late in the afternoon. This heavenly tasty concoction is knock-your-feet-off delicious and warms up your body, heart, and soul!

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Fresh Tomato Soup

This creamy tomato soup is simple and easy to make. It is gluten-free and dairy-free and packed with flavor.

You will need:

2 lb (1 kg) fresh tomatoes
2 – 3 tablespoons margarine (e.g. Fleischmann’s)
dash of extra virgin olive oil
3/4 – 1 onion (yellow or red), finely diced
1 heaped tablespoon celery leaves, chopped (about 3/4 oz or 20 grams)
1 bay leaf
2 cups (500 ml) water
a dash or two (or to taste) of soy sauce, gluten-free
fine salt, to taste
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon of Italian dried herbs
1 tablespoon (or to taste) salt-free Mrs. Dash Original Blend
pinch of nutmeg
dash of curry powder
dash of ground rosemary (you can grind dried rosemary in the coffee grinder to a very fine powder)
dash of ground oregano
dash or two of Old Bay

Cut the tomatoes into dice. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably stainless steel), melt the margarine and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery leaves, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce the heat to very low and cook for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and water and season to taste. Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Set aside and puree the soup with a blender for a creamy texture. No thickening or milk/cream required. It is rich in flavor the natural way. Using ripe tomatoes intensifies the flavor and color. Serve hot and enjoy!

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German Black Forest Cake

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Tastelishes Rum Ball Bliss

These delicious no-bake rum balls are easy to make and taste even better after they have aged for several days. The recipe does not call for corn syrup or wafers.

You will need: (Makes about 17 balls)

100 grams chocolate morsels, bitter or bitter-sweet
40 grams unsalted butter or unsalted margarine
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
50 grams cocoa powder (to sift)
3 – 4 tablespoons white Rum (e.g. Bacardi) (for a kid-friendly version, use rum aroma/extract to taste)

Deco:

25 – 50 grams ground almonds or hazelnuts, roasted (I used 25 grams to lightly coat all the rum balls with)
2 teaspoons white fine granulated sugar
chocolate streusel or sweetened coconut flakes as needed (you could also use colored sugar as a coating)

Melt the chocolate morsels in a double boiler. Stir to check if fully melted. Add the butter/margarine and let melt completely. Stir to mix. Set aside. Add each of the following ingredients and incorporate before adding the next one: cream, powdered sugar, cocoa (sift it in), and rum. Let cool to room temperature (takes approx. 30 minutes). Meantime, prepare the nuts. Roast the grinded almonds or hazelnuts in a nut roaster or a stainless steel pan. Add the sugar and mix. Stir often until they are lightly tanned in color. Set aside and let cool. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled off and is firm, form neat little balls. Lightly coat each rum ball with roasted nuts and roll them in chocolate sprinkles or coconut flakes until they are completely covered. If the rum balls have a hard time taking on the chocolate sprinkles, lightly squeeze them to press the sprinkles into the rum balls and reform them into neat balls. Place each rum ball in a mini paper cup, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until completely firm (takes about an hour). Let them come to room temperature before serving. These gorgeous little chocolate rum balls are truly irresistible!

For more information, kitchen basics, helpful tips, basic recipes, visit the website at Tastelishes. Tastelishes recipes feature both simple and extraordinary dishes that tempt the palate and delight the senses to create memorable moments that last a lifetime.

14 photo-illustrated themed Tastelishes eBooks showcase gorgeous, easy-to-follow recipes. Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes. Available at Amazon and Smashwords.

                                                

All writing, illustrations, and photography is Copyright Tastelishes 2013, unless indicated otherwise, and may not be reproduced. All rights reserved.
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Tastelishes Baking Classics Book Promotion

“Tastelishes Baking Classics – From Scratch” is now offered 25 % off exclusively at Smashwords. Regular price: $3.99, Promotional price: $2.99. Use the code SSW25 and receive the discount at checkout.

The recipes will yield: Old-world Yeast Dough, Plum Cake with Italian Prunes, Rhubarb Cake with Classic Meringue and Hazelnut/Almond Meringue, Horseshoe Yeast Sponge, Easy Homemade Almond Paste Filling and more. All recipes contain enticing full-color photo-illustrations, are easy-to-follow with detailed instructions for high transparency, precise measurements, tips, and how-to. Tastelishes uses natural ingredients and all dishes are made from scratch while keeping the process and techniques simple. Tastelishes Classic Cakes are truly a spa for the senses.

Tastelishes recipes feature both simple and extraordinary dishes that tempt the palate and delight the senses to create memorable moments that last a lifetime.

14 photo-illustrated themed Tastelishes eBooks showcase gorgeous, easy-to-follow recipes. Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes. Available at Amazon and Smashwords.

                                                

All writing, illustrations, and photography is Copyright Tastelishes 2013, unless indicated otherwise, and may not be reproduced. All rights reserved.

Book Promotion

“Tastelishes Cupcake Revolution – Ultimate Pleasures” is currently 40 % off with the coupon code WC34N exclusively at Smashwords. The coupon expires on July 8. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity! The coupon will be applied at check-out. Regular price: $4.99, Promotional price: $2.99

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Tastelishes recipes feature both simple and extraordinary dishes that tempt the palate and delight the senses to create memorable moments that last a lifetime.

14 photo-illustrated themed Tastelishes eBooks showcase gorgeous, easy-to-follow recipes. Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes. Available at Amazon and Smashwords.

                                                

All writing, illustrations, and photography is Copyright Tastelishes 2013, unless indicated otherwise, and may not be reproduced. All rights reserved.

Homemade Yogurt with Tastelishes Strawberry Syrup

It’s very easy to make homemade yogurt with a Girmi yogurt maker. All you need to do is fill your yogurt mix into the glass jars and place them into the yogurt maker. The yogurt maker gets plugged into a power outlet and does the rest for you by keeping a steady temperature.

To make a rich, creamy yogurt, you will need (makes 7 yogurts/glass jars):

2 cups whole milk (250 ml)
2 cups heavy cream (250 ml)
5 tablespoons starter (a plain yogurt with live cultures e.g. containing lactobacillus acidophilus)

Measure the milk and cream in a large measuring cup (pitcher), add the starter and stir with a wire whisk until well mixed. Pour it evenly into all seven glass jars and add the lids. Place the jars in your yogurt maker, cover with the lid and plug it into the power outlet. After 10 hours, the yogurt is ready and lukewarm. Place the yogurts in the refrigerator and let them chill for a few hours to reach a firmer consistency. I have a Girmi yogurt maker which works great and effortless, yet you can use any yogurt maker and you will need to follow their directions accordingly.

To enrich your yogurt with an extra special flavor boost, add some homemade strawberry syrup. The recipe for an easy, fabulous strawberry syrup can be found at http://bit.ly/ZQ8fL5 and http://amzn.to/Tgc39Z

For more information, kitchen basics, helpful tips, basic recipes, visit the website at Tastelishes. Tastelishes recipes feature both simple and extraordinary dishes that tempt the palate and delight the senses to create memorable moments that last a lifetime.

14 photo-illustrated themed Tastelishes eBooks showcase gorgeous, easy-to-follow recipes. Enjoy Life. Eat Tastelishes. Available at Amazon and Smashwords.

                                                

All writing, illustrations, and photography is Copyright Tastelishes 2013, unless indicated otherwise, and may not be reproduced. All rights reserved.

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