Enjoy the warm and flavorful apple cider spiced with strong flavors of clove.
Ingredients:
- 16 cups apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional, adjust to taste)
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 10 whole cloves
- 5 whole allspice berries
- 1-2 star anise (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional, adjust to taste)
Instructions:
Place the cloves, allspice berries, and star anise in a spice bag for easy removal later or add them directly to the cider and strain them out before serving.
In a large pot, combine the apple cider, orange slices, brown sugar (if using), cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, and star anise. If you’re using nutmeg powder and ginger powder, add them to the pot as well.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully
Taste the cider and adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding honey or maple syrup, if desired. Stir well to ensure it dissolves completely.
After simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Strain out the whole spices. Ladle the hot apple cider into mugs. For a festive touch, you can garnish each mug with a fresh cinnamon stick or an orange slice.