Mulled Wine & Bacon Jam

INGREDIENTS:

MULLED WINE

• 4 cups apple cider
• 1 orange (juice and zest)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 1 bottle of red wine

BACON JAM

• 1 lb. bacon, chopped in 1-inch squares
• 2 large shallots, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. real maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp. water

DIRECTIONS:

MULLED WINE

Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.

BACON JAM

In a heated skillet, cook bacon until crisp, remove bacon from pan and reserve the grease.

Sauté the garlic and shallots in the bacon grease until soft. Add brown sugar, coffee, vinegar and syrup to the shallots and garlic and simmer 5 minutes.

Add bacon, pepper flakes and water and stir gently.

Simmer on low for about 35 minutes stirring often until the liquid is evaporated and the mixture is syrupy.

Place the entire mixture in a food processor and pulse a few times until it reaches the consistency of chunky jam.

Serve at room temperature. Makes approximately two cups.