Winter Spiced Cider

Hot spiced cider can help chase away the winter chill

This past fall my wife and I were looking for a way to wind down at the end of the day while also spending time together as a family. We were already helping my daughter with her regular reading routine as part of her homework, so we decided to join in.

Each person picks a book of their choice and boom - family reading night...(exciting, I know, but we're trying to relax, remember).

With the short days and cooler temps I felt that a hot drink could improve the entire experience for me. Coffee would be fine, but I wanted to avoid the caffeine at night, so I decided to take advantage of the excellent cider available from the many fine orchards here in the Midwest.

It's interesting how cider has never really caught on in the U.S.  We grow excellent apples, have no problem incorporating them into all sorts of desserts, but cider seems to be fully entrenched in its seasonal niche. This also holds true for hard cider - we're the exception as the former colony that doesn't share England's affinity for the drink, but more on that in another post.

Hot spiced cider has always been a favorite of mine -  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice really work well with the sweetness and fruit in the cider, but you can choose any spice you like.

Some nice bourbon also can transform this into a great winter cocktail.

This is a single serve version, for those nights when you could really use something hot to drink, but I'll include a version below you can use at any holiday gathering.

Ingredients

Serves 1 - 

Add to a mug of quality cider:

1-2 cloves

1-2 allspice berries

a few grates of cinnamon and/or nutmeg.
add a slice of orange and a cranberry or two if desired, but feel free to leave out as well.

Use whole spices whenever possible, but ground spices will serve in a pinch.

Heat in a microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes (based on your microwave of course). Add a shot of bourbon if desired and enjoy.

Multiple serving modification - 

Ingredients - 

Serves 12

Make this in a slow cooker and keep the ladle handy for your guests.

1/2 gallon of nice apple cider
1 - orange sliced
10-12 - cranberries
6 - cloves
10 - allspice berries
2 - cinnamon sticks
1 - tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker set to high, heat through (15-20 minutes or so) and reduce heat to low. Ladle into mugs and serve warm. You can let the spices float in the mugs for a little character, but feel free to fish them out as well. Add a shot of quality bourbon to the mug of anyone who so desires.