Cheesy Leek Toast & Mulled Wine

I’ve been cutting recipes from magazines for years.  One of my favorites is the Australian magazine Donna Hay.  I came across these recipes in a winter issue a few years back. Perfect for a winter’s night,  these grilled cheesy leek toasts with a glass of mulled wine is a fitting end to a snowy day. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (split equally)

2 leeks, trimmed & sliced

1 T plain flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1 T brandy

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp English mustard

1/2 cup grated cheddar

2 egg yolks

sea salt and black pepper to taste

4 slices thick white bread

 Melt half of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add leeks and cook for about 8-10 minutes.  Set aside.  Melt the extra butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour and cook for about five minutes until golden.  Whisk in the milk and cook for 20-30 seconds until thick.  Whisk in the brandy, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cheddar, egg yolks, salt and pepper.  Cook for an additional five minutes.  The mixture will continue to thicken. 

We chose to make our own bread for this dinner.  Cut into four thick slices and set onto a baking dish.

Cover two slices of bread with half of the leek mixture.

Set remaining two slices of bread on top of leek covered pieces.

Take remaining leeks and spoon onto tops of sandwiches.

Pour cheese mixture onto bread and place under a broiler for 2-5 minutes until bubbly and brown. 

I had never made mulled wine before- in fact, I had never even had a glass.  It was so simple and so warming that I will definetly make it again.  I melted 2 T of brown sugar into a cup of water.  When this mixture came to a boil I added two cinnamon sticks, six cloves and the rind and juice of one orange.  Once that had a few minutes to heat I added one bottle of cabernet sauvignon.  Do not bring this to a boil but do heat it for twenty minutes.  We ladled it into thick glass tumblers and enjoyed it with our cheesy leek toasts.