White glögg can be made of light grape juice, apple juice, white wine or apple or pear cider (perry), or a mixture of them. If you are using dry white wine, add some more sugar.

Glögg can be served before a meal or after a meal with some Christmas desserts or just as a warm-up on a frosty winter day.

750 ml apple cider, fruity white wine or light/white grape juice
½ apple (halved crosswise)
2 tbsp (or to taste) soft brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 stick cinnamon
3 - 5 cloves
¼ tsp mace
3 whole allspice berries

sultanas
blanched almonds or pine kernels
(Swedish punsch, Calvados or vodka)

If the apple is not an organically grown one, peel it. (None of the Finnish apple varieties (grown in Finland) have to be peeled, since they are not waxed or sprayed with insecticides.) Core and thinly slice the apple half.

Pour the cider in a saucepan and heat it up. Do not let it boil. Add the sugar, spices and apple slices. Let stand for 10 minutes on low heat without boiling. Spike up the glögg with a dash of punsch, Calvados or vodka, if you like. Reheat the mixture, if necessary.

Strain the hot glögg in serving mugs or tea-glasses with a spoon in them. Garnish with a couple of apple slices or omit the apple and drop a few golden raisins and blanched almonds or pine kernels in the glasses instead. Serve immediately with eg star-shaped Christmas pastries, gingerbread cookies, Christmas fruit cake, or the like.

Picture on right: hot white glögg with miniature gingerbread cookies and blue cheese.

See a recipe for the more traditional red Christmas glögg.

Recipe source: adapted from "Mulled cider with calvados", www.epicurious.com/Gourmet, February/1993.