What to do with leftover wine

Use those dribs and drabs left after a party: Try these recipes for boozy syrup you can serve over waffles, ice cream, and more.

Friday, December 30, 2011
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Use those dribs and drabs left after a party: Try these recipes for boozy syrup you can serve over waffles, ice cream, and more.

Leftover Red Wine Syrup

Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Total time: 2 hours (includes cooling time)

Makes: 1 cup

1 orange
1 bottle red wine (or 3½ cups assorted red wines)
1 cup sugar
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
 
Using a vegetable peeler, remove strips of orange zest from the orange. In a large saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange zest.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the wine mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and orange zest. Let cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled (the syrup will thicken as it cools).

Serve with: ice cream, yogurt, ricotta, pound cake, waffles, pancakes, or fruit.
 
Leftover White Wine Syrup
Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (includes cooling time)
Makes: 1 cup
 
1 vanilla bean
1 bottle white wine (or 3½ cups assorted white wines)
1 cup sugar
 
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. In a large saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, and vanilla seeds and pod.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the wine mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod. Let cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled (the syrup will thicken as it cools).

Serve with: ice cream, yogurt, ricotta, pound cake, waffles, pancakes, mango, pineapple, or other fruit.
 
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