Mulled Wine Ice Cream

Hello and happy soon-to-be Christmas! It's been a long time, but I'm back with this fun recipe for all your holiday parties leading up to the big day! So grab your favorite red wine, mulling spices and let's clink to this event! Cheers!

Ingredients:

Mulling your wine:

1 cup of favorite red wine (stick for something with a smooth finish, I like Cabernet Sauvignon, but a blend will also be great!)
1 - 2 slices of orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
4 cardamom pods
1 slice of fresh ginger

Ice Cream Base:

3/4 cups sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream

zest of the rest of the orange
2 tbsp of the same wine
pinch of Maldon sea salt (I like smoked)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan on high heat add all your mulling spices and your cup of wine
2. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. You will be cooking out most of the alcohol and reducing your wine to about 1/2 cup
3. Remove pan from heat and let mulled wine sit for 20 minutes
4. Strain your wine and add back to your saucepan (save a cinnamon stick and orange peel)
5. Add milk, heavy cream and sugar to the same saucepan along with one of the sticks of cinnamon and you orange peel
5. Stir concoction until everything has combined and place in your refrigerator for 3 hours to cool
6. Once your ice cream base has cooled, add to your ice cream maker along with orange zest, and follow manufacturer's instructions
7. At the end of the freezing process add the 2 tbsp of wine and salt, then mix until combined
8. Serve and enjoy!*

*Try serving as an affogato! Warm up a cup of the same wine on the stove and pour half a cup over a scoop of your new mulled wine ice cream! Best when ice cream has frozen to almost solid!