Hearthside Cider Simmer
Put this on before the doorbell starts and forget about it. It holds for hours, everyone from trick-or-treaters to grandparents can have a mug, and the adults who want something stronger can add it themselves.
What you'll need
- 1 gallon apple cider (3.8 L)
- 1 large orange, sliced into rounds
- 1 apple, sliced into rounds
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 10 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced (5 cm)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, if your cider is tart (30 ml)
- 1 oz bourbon or dark rum (30 ml)
How to make it
Pour the cider into a slow cooker. Push the cloves into a few of the orange slices so they are easy to fish out, and add them with the rest of the fruit and spices.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Turn to the warm setting and ladle into mugs as people arrive. Taste after the first hour and add the maple syrup if it needs it.
No slow cooker? Bring everything to a bare simmer in a large pot, then keep it on the lowest heat for 30 minutes.
Glass: Mugs or heatproof glasses. Garnish: An orange slice and a cinnamon stick in each mug.
Chef's secrets
Use fresh pressed cider, not clear apple juice, for body.
Half a gallon in a small pot is plenty for six.
Good to know
It holds on the warm setting for up to 4 hours. Lift out the cloves and star anise after about 3 hours so the spice does not take over. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 days and reheat well.