Apple cider and cinnamon. Let me count the ways I can add you to my fall and holiday drink choices. Let's face it, It's not fall without hot apple cider and a stick or dash of cinnamon.

That means it's time for recipes. We'll begin with:

Hot Apple Cider

To make this is actually quite simple. You pour apple cider into a heavy sauce pan and warm it. You can add sliced apple just for visual and psychological appeal.

Then there's what’s what's known as Mulled Apple Cider. This is when you add spices to your cider.

Mulling Blend: (Courtesy of yummly.com)

2 cups cinnamon sticks - crushed
2 cups whole cloves
2 cups allspice berries
11/2 (one and one-half) cups dried orange zest
1 cup cardamom pods
1/2 cup peppercorns

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine them.

Now you've got enough mulling blend to make a lot of batches or share with friends and family. If you're going to share with others, small mason jars make great containers.

Two tablespoons of mulling spice to 1/2 gallon of apple cider is good.

What's Fall Without Caramel Apples?

Caramel apple cider will take care of almost any cravings you might have for caramel apples. It's a nice twist on your favorite cup of cider and adds variety to your fall drink recipes.

Crock-pot apple cider is an aromatic delight and a way of extracting every bit of flavor into a cup.

Crock-pot Caramel Apple Cider (recipe courtesy of thecookierookie.com)

10 apples
1 orange quartered
4 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons whole cloves
14 cups of water
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup caramel sauce
cinnamon sticks, apple slices, and orange slices for garnish

Instructions

•Add sliced apples and oranges to large slow cooker. Don't worry about peeling them, you will strain later. Add cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and cloves to the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with water almost all the way to the top. About 14 cups, but you can use more or less depending on the size of your slow cooker.


Then add: 10 apples, 1 orange, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, 14 cups water


•Cover slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours.


•After the cooking time, take a potato masher and mash the fruit fully in the slow cooker. Go slowly so you do not spill the water over the sides.


•Pour cider through a strainer to remove any of the large fruit chunks and spices.


•Follow by straining again through a fine-mesh strainer to make even more refined. Press the mixture through the mesh to get all the juice out that’s possible. Return the remaining cider to the slow cooker.


•Stir in sugar, agave nectar, and caramel sauce. Stir in alcohol if desired.

1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup agave nectar, 1/4 cup caramel sauce, 1/2 cup caramel vodka


•Keep on low while serving, or refrigerate for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.


•Serve hot, garnished with apple slices, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks.You can dip the rims of containers in caramel sauce for extra fun.
cinnamon sticks, apple slices, and orange slices for garnish (optional) This recipe serves 12.


These recipes will get you started with Falls hot drinks. Let us know in the Ethnic Beauty Forum how your hot drinks turned out.

That's it for this week.

Enjoy!

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