Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

By harvard88

Ingredients

• 1 bottle dry red wine (I used Old Moon Zinfandel from Trader Joe's, retailed for $3.99)
• 2 lemons, sliced into wheels
• 1 orange, sliced into half-wheels
• 1-2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise pods
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
• 3 ounces orange liqueuer (optional, I used Grand Marnier)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prepare the spiced syrup (can be done the night before) by bringing the water to a simmer, then add the sugar, vanilla extract & the ground allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper - stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Turn on a six-quart slow cooker to the HIGH setting, and combine the spiced syrup with the bottle of red wine, citrus slices, cinnamon sticks & star anise pods. Give it a quick stir, then cover it and let it sit for about an hour (or when it starts to simmer.)
3. Bring the slow cooker down to a LOW or WARM setting, add the orange liqueur and the mulled wine is ready to serve! (Also, the wine-soaked fruit is absolutely tasty to nibble on!)