Daily News from New York, New York • 194

BY RUTH SPEAR BY RUTH OT PUNCHES, ALSO known as "mulled wines," are a punchy way to raise temperatures as well as spirits on a cold day like today. To mull means to heat with a hot poker. The Bavarian drink gluhwein is said to have come about as an apres-ski defroster in the days when people skied for transportation as opposed to sport, a chilly business at best. Once indoors, they would warm up quickly by pouring wine into a crock, adding some sweetener and spice, then plunging a red-hot poker into the mixture. In addition to heating the wine, the poker made it luminous, hence the name gluhwein, literally "glowing wine." Another hot punch, the Negus, is thought to be named after a 17thcentury English army officer said to have brought the recipe to England after a campaign in Europe.

The spiced apple bowl, on the other hand, is of American origin and will please those who prefer white wine to red. And from the Netherlands, we get Hoppel Poppel, a rich and soothing drink that tastes rather like hot rum ice cream. Since hard boiling will change flavors considerably (and not for the better), heat drink components slowly, without letting them boil. Boiling will also cause the alcohol to pass off as a vapor, resulting in a punch with no punch. If you are adding fruit, cut it and add just before serving.

An inexpensive California jug wine with a pleasantly robust flavor is fine for these drinks, and mugs are ideal for serving hot wine punch; their size allows the aroma to develop, and the handle takes care of the heat. THAT Gluhwein 1 fifth red wine cup sugar, or to taste 6 cinnamon sticks, 3-4 inches long teaspoon allspice 10 cloves The skin. of one orange 1 orange, thinly sliced (optional) Combine all the ingredients except the orange slices in a medium, rionaluminum saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles appear around the edge of the liquid. Remove from heat, strain and pour into heated mugs.

Garnish each mug with a cinnamon stick and add an orange slice if desired. Serves six. Note: If a cinnamon stick is not available, a quarter teaspoon of powdered cinnamon may be used. Negus 1 fifth ruby Port 1 tablespoon sugar The juice and grated zest (yellow part only) of a large lemon 1 cup boiling water Nutmeg Combine port, sugar, lemon juice and grated zest. Heat in a non-aluminum pot until steam begins to rise, then add and stir in the boiling water.

Strain into preheated mugs and top with a dusting of nutmeg. Serves eight. Spiced Apple Bowl cup sugar teaspoon cinnamon 12 Lady apples or small McIntosh, washed 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 3 cups dry white wine cups apple cider or juice Several gratings of nutmeg Twist of lemon peel Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Coat apples by rolling first in corn syrup, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Put in a baking dish and bake 15 minutes if using small apples, 20 if the apples are large. Meanwhile, combine the wine, cider or juice, nutmeg and lemon peel in a medium-sized non-aluminum saucepan and heat slowly. To serve, place apples in a heated punch bowl and pour the punch over, or BOWL place each apple in a preheated mug and pour the punch over. Serves 12. Glogg 14.

cups raisins 15 cardamom pods 2 bottles red wine 1 large orange studded with 10 cloves 1 2-inch cinnamon stick cup sugar or to taste cup blanched whole almonds Pour the boiling water to cover over the raisins to plump them and let sit while you prepare the drink. Peel the cardamom pods and crush the seeds. Heat the wine, cardamom seeds, orange, cinnamon and sugar in a non-metallic saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a punch bowl (or serve directly from the pot). Ladle into preheated mugs and garnish each with a few drained raisins and almonds.

Makes 16 punch cups. Hoppel Poppel THE 4 egg yolks 7 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 quart hot milk 1 cup dark rum Nutmeg Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until frothy and pale yellow. Stir in the vanilla and slowly pour in the hot milk in a thin stream, all the while beating constantly. Add and mix in the rum and pour into heated mugs Or punch cups. Serve each with a dusting of nutmeg.

Serves six to eight. 0 Ruth Spear's "The Classic Vegetable Cookbook" will be published this spring by Harper Row. CHEERS NEWS MAGAZINE NEW YORK JANUARY 20, 1985.