Instant Christmas with Swedish glögg

If you’re still trying to think about how to bring a whiff of Christmas to your home, this will do it.

Glögg is part of the Nordic tradition of “fika,” a widely celebrated coffee and pastry break that’s central to daily life in the country.

Keep the mixture warm over low heat for a while without cooking off the alcohol, and the fragrance of warm wine and spices should help dispel the holiday blahs.

THE AVIARY GLÖGG

Choose a wine you like, but it doesn’t need to be pricey, and if you can’ t find lingonberry preserves ( check Ikea), blackberry is a backup option. You can substitute other spirits for the aquavit (vodka, rum and brandy will all work).

❚ 8 to 14 servings

Ingredients

❚ 2 oranges

❚ 10 allspice berries

❚ 12 green cardamom pods

❚ 12 whole cloves

❚ 2 whole star anise

❚ 3 cinnamon sticks

❚ 180 ml (3/4 cup) aquavit

❚ Two 750- ml bottles pinot noir

❚ 1/2 cup peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger

❚ 1 cup dark or golden raisins

❚ 3/4 cup slivered almonds

❚ 1 1/4 cups lingonberry preserves

❚ 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or more as needed

❚ Several pinches salt

Directions 1

Using a peeler, peel the oranges in long strips, avoiding the white pith. Reserve the peels; the fruit itself can be saved for another purpose.

2

Lightly crack the allspice berries and cardamom pods using the bottom of a large, heavy pot, then add them to the dry pot with the cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Toast over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and slowly add the aquavit.

3

Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the orange peels, wine, ginger, raisins, almonds and preserves, stirring to break up the preserves. Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir to dissolve. Taste and add up to 1/2 cup more sugar, if desired, and a few pinches of salt. Return to a boil, remove from heat, cover the pot and allow to steep for 2 hours.

4

Traditionally, glögg is served with some of the flavourful cooked almonds and raisins in each cup as an edible garnish. After the long steep, skim the slivered almonds off the top of the mixture. After straining the solids through a fine- mesh sieve, separate the raisins out.

5

Return the liquid to the pot and hold it at room temperature until you’re ready to serve, when you can warm it up again. Serve the drink in heatproof cups.

6

Garnish each serving with some of the almonds and raisins, or with a cinnamon stick, star anise, candied ginger or twist of orange peel.