Christmas Cordial Recipe
With Christmas around the corner, you might be brainstorming about what fun treat to bring to your holiday celebration. A Christmas cordial is exactly what you were looking for, and now is the time to get one going to have it ready right in time! What is a cordial anyway? Becoming popular in medieval times, a cordial is a sweet alcohol infused herbal formula. They’re meant to be heart warming and shared with others. The process is easy and if you’ve ever made an herbal tincture it will be familiar. Essentially, place your yummy ingredients in a glass jar, cover with brandy, and let sit for a few weeks before straining and enjoying.
Ingredients:
· Orange peel (fresh or dried)
· Ginger (use more if fresh, less if dried)
· Cinnamon Sticks
· Rose Petals
· Hawthorn Berries
· Dates
· Cranberries (fresh or dried)
· Maple Syrup or Honey
Instructions:
If using mostly fresh ingredients, fill your jar up about ¾ full with your herbs and fruits. If using mostly dry ingredients, fill your jar up about ½ full with your herbs and fruits. The amount of each is totally up to you, there’s no right or wrong here! My only advice is to be cautious with the ginger as too much of it can get too spicy or warming for some folks.
Fill your jar with brandy, making sure all your ingredients are completely covered. You want 2 inches of brandy above your ingredients. If using a jar with a metal lid, place parchment paper under the lid to avoid the alcohol corroding it.
Let infuse (or macerate as herbalists call it) for a minimum of 2 weeks but longer is fine. Taste it along the way!
When you’re happy with the flavor, strain the mixture through a metal strainer or cheesecloth.
Mix in your maple syrup or honey to your desired level of sweetness. A good ratio to start is 2:1 alcohol to sweetener. So if you have 2 cups of strained alcohol, mix in 1 cup of sweetener.
If bringing to a holiday celebration, you might enjoy bottling your Christmas cordial in a fun bottle. I’ve seen some pretty ones at the dollar store!
This cordial can be enjoyed sipped from a fancy crystal glass (pinky up of course!) or try spiking hot apple cider for a really delicious and warming drink.
Note: Making herbal treats is such a fun and creative process so feel free to change up the ingredients a bit! Other possibilities are: strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise, fennel, vanilla beans, tulsi, l You could also use gin or vodka, but I find the more mellow profile of brandy is particularly nice for cordials.