What a surprising Blend. After over fifteen years of using our Epicurean Mulling Spices I realize how many uses it has in my kitchen and how many recipes have been created using the spices, or using spiced juices.

     Using these spices you can make hot drinks, cold drinks, alcoholic or non alcoholic quaffs. Create drinks for all times of day, for all ages, tastes and seasons. Use the spiced juices for sauces, marinades, poaching liquids, baking and deserts.

     Our mulled wine recipes are light alcoholic drinks (half spiced juice and half wine) and so are perfect for afternoon receptions and weddings...and Christmas Day!. A tip is to have the spiced juice perfectly warming in a crock pot with a carafe of red wine next to it ready for guests to instantly make their own drink. This is great drink for designated drivers as it is a special/guilty drink - without the guilt.

     A lucky (and smart) person will have a litre or two of spiced apple juice on hand in the refrigerator ready for any emergency. Unexpected guests can be offered hot mulled juice or mulled wine or that corned beef on special can be put in the slow cooker with the spiced juice for an exceptional night’s dinner (after removing the meat cook the potatoes, onions and cabbage in the remaining juice). You know, juice is an acid as well as a sweet so it can move easily from a drink to a marinade or a cooking liquid.

     Baking tip: if you are using dried fruits for any recipe, plump them first by covering fruit with spiced juice, heating it for one minute in the microwave, then let cool and the fruit will “plump” as it drinks up the spiced juice.