Holiday Spiced Mulled Wine

Makes One 6-Cup (1.4 L) Mold

When unmolded onto a large platter garnished with fresh fruit, such as grapes, lady apples, tiny pears, and some greenery, this gelatin can serve as the centerpiece on a holiday buffet table. It is a stunning presentation and tastes so good, too. If you are not a fan of alcohol, you can replace the wine with any cranberry juice mix.

INGREDIENTS

Jiggle!: A Cookbook: 50 Recipes for Sweet, Savory, and Sometimes Boozy Modern Gelatins Peter DiMario & Judith Choate

• Vegetable oil for greasing the mold

• 2 large organic navel oranges

• 3¼ cups (769 ml) Chianti Classico or other rich Italian red wine

• 1¼ cups (296 ml) brandy

• 1 cup (237 ml) cranberry juice cocktail

• ½ cup (107 g) dark brown sugar

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 6 whole cloves

• 2 star anise

• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

• 4 packets (7 g each) unflavored gelatin powder, such as Knox brand

• 2 firm apples, peeled, cored, and diced

• 2 pears, peeled, cored, and diced

Prep the Mold

Lightly grease the interior of a 6-cup (1.4 L) mold with vegetable oil. Set aside.

Make the Spiced Wine Gelatin 

1. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove fine strips of zest from one of the oranges (avoid any pith) and set aside. Juice the orange and set the juice aside. Using a sharp knife, trim off each end of the remaining orange. Then, cut the orange, crosswise, into slices about ¼ inch (0.64 cm) thick. Set aside.

2. Combine the orange juice with the peel in a large saucepan. Add the red wine, brandy, cranberry juice cocktail, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and vanilla bean and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and continue to cook at a gentle simmer until the flavors have blended completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove the spiced wine mixture from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, discarding the solids. Place 1 cup (237 ml) of the spiced wine into a large saucepan (reserve the rest). Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and set aside to bloom for 10 minutes.

4. Add the reserved spiced wine to the gelatin mixture and place the saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the gelatin melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and again pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean medium bowl. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until beginning to thicken, about 1 hour.

Add the Fruit

1. Remove the gelatin from the refrigerator, stir in the apples and pears, then spoon the gelatin into the prepared mold.

2. Wrap the entire mold in plastic film and return to the refrigerator and let set for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Unmold It 

1. Remove the mold from the refrigerator. Remove and discard the plastic film. Place the mold in a large bowl of hot water for about 15 seconds to loosen, taking care that the water does not come up over the edge of the mold. Watch carefully as you do not want the gelatin to begin melting. Remove the mold from the water and wipe the exterior dry.

2. Place a serving plate over the mold and invert the mold onto it. The gelatin should pop right out. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Jiggle!: A Cookbook by Peter DiMario & Judith Choate. Copyright © 2024. Available from Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved. And for the photographs used: “©2024 Photographs by Eric Medsker

When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!