Warm Apple Cider Cloves (Printable version)
Comforting warm apple cider with cloves and warming spices, ideal for relaxing on cold days.
# List of ingredients:
→ Base
01 - 4 cups fresh apple cider
→ Spices
02 - 8 whole cloves
03 - 2 cinnamon sticks
04 - 1 star anise (optional)
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Citrus
06 - 1 orange, sliced
→ Sweetener (optional)
07 - 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Pour the apple cider into a medium saucepan.
02 - Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise (if using), ground nutmeg, and orange slices to the saucepan.
03 - Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to extract the spices' flavors.
05 - Taste and add honey or maple syrup if additional sweetness is desired.
06 - Strain the cider to remove spices and orange slices, then serve warm in mugs.
07 - Optionally, garnish with a cinnamon stick or an orange slice.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It fills your home with the kind of smell that makes people linger in the kitchen.
- You can have it ready in under half an hour with almost no effort.
- It tastes like autumn wrapped in a mug, without any powdered mixes or artificial flavors.
02 -
- If you let the cider boil hard, it loses some of its delicate apple sweetness and the spices can turn bitter.
- Whole spices are essential here—ground cloves or cinnamon will cloud the cider and make it gritty.
- Straining is not optional unless you enjoy fishing cloves out of your teeth.
03 -
- Use a potato masher to gently press the orange slices against the side of the pan during the last few minutes of simmering—it releases more oils and deepens the citrus flavor.
- If you're serving a crowd, keep the strained cider in a slow cooker on low so people can help themselves without you standing at the stove.
- Save the cinnamon sticks after straining and dry them out—they make great fire starters or scented drawer sachets.