Nadia Sawalha's merry mulled wine

Wash down your festive feast with a glass of well-deserved mulled wine with a difference...

Serves 12Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:5 whole cloves1 orange, sliced2 bottles good quality white wine (Gewurztraminer or Riesling are good choices)140g caster sugar2 cinnamon sticks2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed4 whole allspice berries½ lemon, sliced140ml brandy

For serving:1 tsp ground cinnamon mixed with 8 tsp white granulated sugar

Method:

• Push the cloves into one of the orange slices

• Put the wine, caster sugar, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, allspice berries and lemon slices into a large saucepan and bring almost to the boil.

• Remove the cinnamon sticks, cardamom and allspice berries. Pour in the brandy.

• Place the cinnamon sugar onto a small plate. To decorate the rim of the glasses pour some brandy into a shallow sided dish or plate. Dip the rim of the glasses in the brandy then straight into the cinnamon sugar. Ladle in the mulled wine and serve while warm.