The Magic Wassail Machine

OK, so I’m sure you’re thinking, “No, not really, Wendy. I don’t need a coffee percolator. A 12-cup Mr. Coffee (or for you upscale fancy schmancy folks, a Keurig) works just fine, thank you very much.”

I totally get it. I balked at first. I knew the hubs would argue we’d have nowhere to store it (true!) and when we have parties our guests don’t exactly look for a fresh-brewed cup o’ joe because we’re consuming wine, beer or cocktails. But when I explained to him that this was the magic Wassail machine, he quickly did an about face and told me to throw it in the back of the car.

I can’t remember how long ago that was. What I do know is that when it’s cold and rainy and usually Thanksgiving or Christmas time (though not this past year because it was too warm for such Hot Toddy goodness), our good ol’ buddy my mom was so nice enough to pass down to us gets pulled down from the garage rafters (now from the upper cabinets — today was the first time I didn’t have to check for rat poop! but I digress …) and put to use.

If you’ve never had Wassail, you have to try it. Trust me. Please. It’s a yummy treat your throat and taste buds will enjoy. I’ve seen a bunch of different recipes on the Internet, but you don’t have to go through a trial and tribulation marathon to find the right one because I’m posting the recipe my family has used forever. My mom doesn’t remember where she found it and it’s similar to others out there, but this one has delicious pineapple juice and honey added and I think it makes all the difference.

Wassail
A Hot Toddy punch that keeps you nice and cozy during the winter months.

Ingredients

• 2 Qt Apple Juice
  
• 2 C Orange Juice
  
• 2 C Pineapple Juice
  
• 1 C Lemon Juice
  
• 3 sticks (or more) whole cinnamon
  
• 1 T (or more) whole cloves
  
• Honey to taste (I take the cap off and pour about 1/4 to 1/3 of the teddy bear bottle in; folks can add more individually to suit their needs)
  
• Brandy to taste (I just doubled this recipe and poured 1/2 a 1.75L bottle in knowing my husband will say it needs more so he’ll just add to his cup as he sees fit)
  

 

Directions
1. Mix all juices, honey and brandy in a large coffee percolator.

2. Tie cinnamon and cloves in cheesecloth and add to liquid ingredients and heat.

3. Listen, if you don’t want to purchase something you’ll use only a handful of times a year, then you can just put everything into a dutch oven or large pot and bring it to a boil on the stove. Also: I don’t use cheesecloth because I have a large tea infuser (I picked up somewhere years ago) and hang it from the outer edge.

It looks sorta like this:

And there you have it. A great reason why you should inherit your parents’ percolator or an excuse to go out and buy a brand-new one. ~TTFN

BTW: If you’ve somehow come across my blog, please don’t judge me just yet because I have no idea what the hell I’m doing in terms of setting up my pages/menus/categories and all that good organizational stuff (I’m hugely inept when it comes to organization). I’m feeling my way around and am just happy that I’ve been able to get one post up a week for three consecutive weeks!

OK, that is all.