Pagan Studies
Being a compendium of recipes and advice for ritual and mundane use to please and make prosperous the Practitioner.
A Very Merry Yule
‘Tis the season for some traditional drink recipes![1]
19th c. Egg Nog
1 pint brandy
1 qt. bourbon
1 pint dark rum
3 qts. heavy cream
18 eggs
1 lb. sugar
Nutmeg
Cloves
Separate the eggs. Stir the liquors with the egg yolks. Mix in the cream and sugar; blend together.
Beat the eggs whites until stiff. Fold them in gently with the yolks and liquor mixture. Garnish with cloves and nutmeg.
AN ANCIENT WASSAIL BOWL (ca. 1602)
6 whole cloves 6 egg yolks
1 c. sugar 6 apples, cored, not peeled
3 egg whites 2 t. powdered nutmeg
1 in. cinnamon stick ¼ t. mace
1 t. powdered ginger 2 qts. Madeira or Sherry
water
Cover spices with cold water. Bring to a boil; add wine and sugar. Simmer.
Filled cored apples with sugar, sprinkle on a little spice and roast about 20 minutes (until nearly done). In your wassail bowl or punch bowl beat together egg whites and yolks. When wine is warm, not boiling, mix a teacupful with the eggs. When a little warmer, add another teacupful with the eggs and repeat until 5 cups have been used. Let the rest of the wine boil up well. Pour it into the bowl, stirring all the while so it froths. Toss the hot apples into the bowl and serve the whole very hot. If desired, decorate the bowl with holly.
Note: Be sure to use an enameled stockpot for warming the wine and spices, since alcohol can react badly with metal. You can use a large whisk to beat the eggs in the bowl rather than an electric beater. A teacup would be about 2 oz.
GLÖGG[2] (Yule and Imbolc)
1 qt. dry red wine 3 cardamom seeds, crushed
1 qt. port 9 whole cloves
1 c. seedless raisins 1 stick cinnamon
2 T. grated orange peel 1 ½ c. aquavit
1 c. sugar 1 c. blanched almonds
In a 6-qt. enameled pot mix together the wines, raisins, orange peel, cardamom seeds, cloves, and cinnamon. Cover and let stand for thirteen hours.
Just before serving add the aquavit and sugar, stir and bring to full boil over high flame. Remove from heat. Add almonds; stir and serve in mugs with spoons.
END NOTES
1. From my first Book of Shadows, ca 1978.
2. Recipe from the first edition of Witches All, ed. Elizabeth Pepper and John Wilcock, published about 1976-77. The revised edition, ed. Elizabeth Pepper, includes the recipe.
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