Glogg, also known as mulled or spiced wine, is common in Scandinavia throughout the winter, but particularly at Christmas. This recipe is based on a traditional Danish recipe for Glogg and I have translated the essence of the drink into cookie form with just a little less alcohol. The cookies are not overly sweet and using cake flour gives them a cake or muffin-like texture. Adding the orange buttered rum glaze enhances the sweetness and presentation.
You can easily customize the recipe to your tastes by omitting certain spices and adding more of others, using all-purpose flour for a more traditional cookie texture, and leaving out the Port or glaze. No matter how you alter the recipe to meet your personal preference, these cookies are sure to make your entire kitchen smell like Christmas as they bake.
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
½ cup raisins (preferably golden raisins)
¼ cup Port wine
1 ½ cup almond flour
1 ½ cup cake (or pastry) flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon orange peel
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon all spice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup (1 full stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
Orange Buttered Rum Glaze
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon light rum
3 tablespoon water
¾ cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon orange peel
Sliced almonds (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine the raisins and port in a small bowl. Let the raisins soak at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (Note: If you are short on time or you wish to omit the alcohol, you can skip this step and add the raisins without soaking.)
2. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cake flour, the spices, salt, and baking soda. Wisk together to combine and set aside.
3. Whip the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and one of the eggs. Beat until combined. Add the second egg and beat until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredient mixture slowly into the wet ingredients. Beat until combined. Mix in the raisins until combined. (If you soaked the raisins, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the Port. Discard any Port that was not absorbed by the raisins.)
5. Portion out the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. The dough will be soft and sticky at room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. They can be chilled longer or overnight, if desired. Chilling is necessary to enhance the soft texture of the cookies.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake cookies for 14-16 minutes, turning the cookie sheet halfway through. This recipe makes 12 large cookies.
7. While the cookies are cooling, make the orange buttered rum glaze by combining the butter, rum, water, sugar, and orange peel in a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Boil while stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately drizzle on the cooled cookies. Top with slices of almond, if desired.
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