On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Bacon gave to me…
… a band of singing Muppets to wish you a very merry Christmas!
I love the Muppets. A lot. And not these newfangled, Disney-fied Muppets that we’ve got today, but the old-school, weird, gently subversive Muppets that Jim Henson lovingly created. So what better way to sign off our 12 Days of Bacon than with a song from the whole Muppet gang (both the Sesame Street contingent and The Muppet Show crew, which is an extra treat), with a special appearance by dear old Uncle Jim himself.
And in honor of my very favorite Muppet, the Swedish Chef, here’s an authentic recipe for Swedish glögg, given to me by an authentic Swede. We hope you enjoy it, and that you and yours have a very a happy holiday season!
Swedish Glögg
Glögg is the traditional drink in Sweden and Finland during the six weeks leading up to December 25–a cold, dark time of year in Scandinavia. Glögg is similar to a variety of historical mulled wines, such as wassail and gluwein.
1 bottle of red wine
1/4 – 1/2 cup vodka (not spicy or flavored)
10 whole cloves
1 tsp cardamom seeds
4 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
peels from half a lemon
1/2 – 1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanillaCrush cinnamon and cardamom in a mortar. Peel lemon (make sure no white inner membranes are included, as this will turn your glögg bitter). Put all spices and peel in a glass or plastic jar with a lid, pour over the vodka and cover. Let stand overnight. Strain the vodka and discard the spices. Mix the spiced vodka with the wine and sugar in a large pot or kettle and heat until steaming–DO NOT BOIL. Stir and taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar. If it’s too sweet, add more wine and/or plain vodka to taste.
When serving glögg, drop a few slivered almonds and raisins into the bottom of the cup. Enjoy with traditional Swedish ginger snaps.
TV BACON 