SPICED CIDER

Spiced Cider image

Provided by Lynnda Cloutier

Number Of Ingredients 11

5 allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1/4 t. salt
1 orange peel (whole peel)
1 lemon peel (whole peel)
2 quarts apple cider
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
ground nutmeg to taste
10 cinnamon sticks for garnish
captain morgan's spiced rum, optional

Steps:

1. Put the spices, salt and fruit peels in center of a 12 inch square of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners and tie with butcher's twine to create a small packet. In large pot over medium heat, heat the cider until steam begins to rise from the surface. Add brown sugar and stir until melted. Add spice packet to pot and steep for 10 minutes or until cider is infused with spice. Serve in mugs with a sprinkling of nutmeg and a cinnamon stick stirrer. If you prefer spiked cider, add 3/4 oz. of spiced rum to each serving or use 1 cup of rum for the full recipe. Serves 10 A steaming mug of cider flavored with holiday spices takes the chill from your bones just as well as a roaring fire. Like most traditions, cider recipes evolve over the years and each family seems to have their own secret recipe. You can also melt a cup of Red Hots (t he cinnamon candies) in a gallon of hot cider. Wonderful! Traditionalists usually use a variety of sweet spices, but spiced cider can be as simple as heating the cider and adding a cinnamon stick to each mug. It's up to you.