If you think about it, there wouldn't be many things better than a cup of hot mulled cider after an outing on a cold winter day. The temperature in the car started to plumping down as soon as I started the car and got out of the garage yesterday morning. And in a matter of a couple of minutes, it hit -10 degrees Fahrenheit (or -25 Celsius). The temperature didnt' go up much this morning so far, but not worse either. I wish I could spare sometime yesterday evening to make a pot of nice spicy "vin chaud" (mulled wine), or mulled cider. (You can see my vin chaud or mulled wine recipe here)
But I didn't have a bottle of red wine of a right kind or apple cider. But, I am very determined to fill the kitchen with the aroma of simmering mulled cider before this weekend, i.e. tomorrow, to bring it to the ski slopes this weekend.
I've always loved having a glass of vin chaud when I came back from skiing in France. But, now I equally like mulled cider which is made with liquid from apple instead of that of grape :) A good thing about mulled cider is that you can share it with kids since it doesn't contain any alcohol. A bad thing about mulled cider? You can or have to share it with kids because it doesn't contain any alcohol! So here you see that the same fact can be both a good thing and bad thing. Of course I'm joking. This is a great cold day drink for family, friends and you.
I basically use almost an identical recipe both for mulled cider and vin chaud. I made a big pot of mulled cider and we had an afternoon snack time with mulled cider and a part of roof from the gingerbread house!
Ingredients
2 Liters of fresh apple cider, unfiltered and unsweetened
1 teaspoon clove,
3-4 whole allspice
1/2 orange, sliced (oops, I forgot orange for the ingredients shot!)
Peel from 1 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup sugar
Directions
1. (Optional) I soak and cleanse lemon and oranges when I use the zest and peel.
Slice orange and peel lemon.
2. Combine apple cider, orange slice and lemon peel in a large pot.
3. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and sugar to the pot.
4. Bring the mixture to just under a simmer over the low heat. DO NOT allow it to boil. Keep the lid over the pot.
5. Simmer for 40-45 minutes.
6. (Optional) strain the spices from the mulled apple cider by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth.
6. Laddle the mulled cider to a mug or a glass.
Add a cinnamon stick or orange, and serve.
You can pour it in a thermos and bring it to skiing or skating!
It will definitely warm you up!
Enjoy!
Mulled Apple Cider
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