This Christmas I discovered a new recipe to add to my family's holidays! Homemade Wassail!
For anyone that doesn't know what wassail is: it is a hot mulled cider that was traditionally made as part of an old English tradition with the intention of ensuring a good crop of cider apples for the next year's harvest. This usually involved singing, and drinking the cider, known as wassailing. And so over time, the cider became known as wassail.
Ingredients:
- 1 Gallon apple cider
- 2 Cups cranberry juice
- 1/2 Cup honey
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 2 oranges
- Whole cloves
- 1 apple, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp. Allspice
- 1 tsp. Ginger
- 1 tsp. Nutmeg
- 3-4 cinnamon sticks (or 3 Tbs. ground cinnamon)
- 1/2 C - 1 C brandy (optional)
Preparation:
Set your crockpot to its lower setting, and pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey and sugar in, mixing carefully. As it heats up, stir so that the honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves, and place in the pot (they'll float). Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste. Finally, add the cinnamon sticks.
Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.
Cover your pot and allow to simmer 2 - 4 hours on low heat. About half an hour prior to serving, add the brandy if you choose to use it.
Yummy, i hope your version the other day omitted the brandy since I was drinking it :)
haha no worries, no brandy was involved. :-)