Spooky Mulled Cider

A tasty mulled drink is hard to beat especially on frosty days or at parties. It is also an essential element of any successful Wassail! You can either put individual spices into your mix or use ready made spice bags which usually contain a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and mace. We think children also deserve a treat too, so you can make a non-alcoholic version using apple juice in place of cider. Give it an adult twist with the addition of some spirit!

Ingredients:

• 2 litres / 4pints apple juice
• Either 2 sachets of mulling spices or 6 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves, 2 star anise, 2 blades of mace and a small piece of bruised stem ginger.
• 2 thinly sliced Cox apples
• 2 thinly sliced oranges
• 2 lemons juiced

Method: 

Put the juice and the spices into a stainless steel pan and heat to a slow simmer allowing the spices to infuse for 20mins. Make sure the liquid doesn't boil or the alcohol will evaporate! Around 80 degrees Celsius is perfect. Add the juice of the lemons and the slices of apple and orange. Serve in heat proof glasses.