HOW TO MAKE MULLED WINE

Are you wanting to warm up on a cold night?  Did you take home a bottle of red wine after your stay at The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm, or do you plan on visiting us and one of our local neighborhood vineyard/wineries?  Here's an easy recipe from your friends at The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm that is sure to delight:

You will need the following:

1 750 ml bottle of Virginia red wine
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4  teaspoon cloves
2 slices of ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
4 large cinnamon sticks



Directions:

* Pour red wine into a stainless steel saucepan and gradually heat.  Never boil!
* In another saucepan, heat the water to a near boil and slowly stir in the sugar until dissolved.
* Add spices to the sugar water, then add this mixture to the saucepan of red wine.  Cover the simmering mixture for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.  Be sure to check the concoction at regular intervals to see if the taste suits you.
* You can always add more sugar or spice as the mixture is brewing.
* Pour liquid into Irish coffee cups and garnish with cinnamon sticks.  Serves four to five people
.
(You can also add fruit to this recipe, including finely grated zest of 1/2 a lemon or 1 orange, but avoid the bitter white pith.  Or choose to add the freshly squeezed juice of about 1 or 2 oranges).

~ Recipe found in December/January issue of Albemarle Magazine.



Happy Holidays from:

Dick and Hayden Cabell
Owners/Innkeepers
The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm (Near Charlottesville, VA)
6051 Sugar Hollow Road
Crozet, VA 22932
www.sugarhollow.com
866-566-7388
Awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.com
Selected for Travelers' Choice Award
Top B&B Inns in America by TripAdvisor.com
Become Our Fan on Facebook http://www.sugarhollow.com/facebook
Follow Us on Twitter http://twitter.com/sugarhollowinn

WEEKEND ROMANTIC GETAWAY

The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm is once again ideal for a weekend romantic getaway. One day from the anniversary of our 2009 Christmas snowstorm (26 inches) and it's snowing again. Fortunately this time we're  getting only a couple of inches which is enough to enjoy the beauty of snow falling on cedars (didn't I read that book?) and not have the worry of an impending massive snow storm. In front of the fireplace in our great room is the perfect spot to curl up with a good mystery (perhaps Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson?) and watch the snow falling.....

Dick and Hayden Cabell Owners/Innkeepers
The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm (Near Charlottesville, VA)
6051 Sugar Hollow Road Crozet, VA 22932
www.sugarhollow.com 866-566-7388

Awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.com
Selected for Travelers' Choice Award Top B&B Inns in America by TripAdvisor.com

Become Our Fan on Facebook http://www.sugarhollow.com/facebook
Follow Us on Twitter http://twitter.com/sugarhollowinn

THE BEST HOMEMADE CAKE RECIPE

Mmmmmm...Good!

This is one of the best cakes I  have ever tasted! Try it and wow your family this holiday season. The recipe was given to me by a friend who got it from Flo Baker, author, Sweet Miniatures (Chronicle Books, 2000).

For those who don't care for coconut -- although it has coconut milk and shredded coconut in it you really can't detect a specific "coconut" flavor -- it all just blends together into a wonderfully complex and rich flavor.


Try it and leave a comment -- let me know how you like it!

SIMPLY DELICIOUS POUND CAKE
The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm

A mint-and-lemon glaze adds a refreshing note.

For the cake:

Serves 16 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
16 Tbsp.(2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 oz. cream cheese
2 1/2 c. sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. pure unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

For the glaze:
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. fresh mint leaves

Directions:
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a cathedral cake pan or a 10-cup Bundt pan.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and cream cheese on med. speed until creamy and smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar and continue beating, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon and vanilla extracts. Reduce the speed to low, add half the flour mixture, then the coconut milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Beat each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the coconut and lemon zest.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the cake upright in the pan for 10 minutes. set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper and invert the cake onto the rack.

The Glaze:
To make the glaze, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the water, lemon juice and sugar just until the sugar dissolves. Add the mint and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the mint. Brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before serving.
Serves 16.

Dick and Hayden Cabell
Owners/Innkeepers
The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm (Near Charlottesville, VA)
6051 Sugar Hollow Road Crozet, VA 22932
www.sugarhollow.com
866-566-7388
Awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.com
Selected for Travelers' Choice Award Top B&B Inns in America by TripAdvisor.com
Become Our Fan on Facebook http://www.sugarhollow.com/facebook
Follow Us on Twitter http://twitter.com/sugarhollowinn