- 1.5 litres of good dry cider
- 150 ml English cider brandy or French calvados
- 500 g eating apples
- 75 g demerara sugar
- juice and finely grated zest of an orange,
- 4 whole cloves & 1 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into bits.
- 1 tbsp allspice berries
Peel and core the apples. Smear with butter and bake in a preheated oven 180°C for 30 minutes. Blend in a liquidiser. Wrap the spices in muslin and tie with string. Put the cider, sugar, apples and orange juice, along with the spice bag, into a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to mull for 20-30 minutes with a lid on. Do not boil. Take off the heat and stir in the brandy and zest. Serve in mugs or heatproof glasses.
A less soporific alternative to the tradition of mulled wine at Christmas, baking the apples gives it a real festive feel. While you are at it you could do a couple of extra apples but for a shorter time and put a slice into each drink.