I am giving away Gluhwein and Glogg for my dear friends in the clinic this year. Gluhwein is German mulled wine while Glogg is its Swedish counterpart. It’s amazing how different cultures come up with ways to feel warm and cozy for winter nights. There are dozens of European varieties of mulled wine. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to, they all taste the same…The Glogg I ordered is actually from Pedernales Cellar in Fredericksburg. Every winter, the city holds a mulled wine festival and that winery has been a consistent winner. We have been stocking up on it for the last two years.
Naturally, I searched for good pairings. My German friend, Hans, said that anything cheesy and savory would be perfect. Hmmmm. Cheesy and savory—-the two words that would send anyone fleeing for a liposuction. That shouldn’t be so hard. I instantly thought of gougeres. Gougeres are French savory pastries that are like cheese puffs.
Add 1 cup of flour and stir in low heat until it dries out and starts pulling away from pan.
Bake at 400 for 20-22 minutes until it puffs out, looking like this:
Another really easy pairing is Home Made Cheese Straws
Grab a sheet of puff pastry, cover with parmesan cheese and Italian Blend seasoning. Pat it down, put some muscle into it, otherwise the whole delectable concoction of cheese and herb falls off.
Cut in small small strips, 1/2 inch should be perfect, then twist
Bake for 15 minutes at 350
So, those are two pairings so far. As mentioned earlier, anything cheesy is good. But at times when I am not inclined to whip up anything in the mixer, turn the oven on, or just when the thought of cleaning up kitchen mess fills me with so much dread, I just want to chug the whole bottle of Glogg, I go direct to the point. I pair it with plain old cheese. HEB has some good selections this season. Many thanks to Connie, Dr N’s so-much-better half.
Another good option is Pfeffernusse cookies. These are German Spice cookies. I made them in the past but Trader Joe’s started making it and as much as I hate to admit it, is so much better than mine. Hey, I am a hard-core foodie. I have no pride. If someone can make it better and will not charge me my first-born for it, I’m buying it. It’s $4.99 without pots and pans to clean, so naturally, it made it on my list.
I have to throw this in. Before you start judging me, I just urge you to try it. It is called Better Than Good Bacon Jam. It is made of onions caramelized in balsamic vinegar and bacon, then made into a jam by angels somewhere in Texas. You can spread this baby into anything and make it turn into something very decadent. Pair it with warm, spicy wine, sit by the fire, and all bacon-associated guilt disappears into thin air.
