Spiced Orange Cinnamon Cider
Apple cider warmed slowly with orange, cinnamon sticks, and star anise until the whole house smells of it. Whole spices are essential here; ground ones would leave the cider gritty and cloudy.
- Prep10 min
- Cook1 h
- Total1 h 10 min
- Serves10
AI-generated illustration
Ingredients
Method
- Peel wide strips of zest from one orange with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith underneath, which turns the cider bitter over a long warm.
- Combine the apple cider, orange juice, zest strips, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, whole cloves, split vanilla bean, and packed brown sugar in a heavy pot or slow cooker.
- Bring it just to the edge of a simmer over medium-low heat, then hold it there uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes without ever letting it boil; boiling drives off the aromatics you are trying to capture.
- Strain out the solids, or leave them in if the pot is staying on the stove for a crowd, and stir in the lemon juice to sharpen the finish.
- Ladle into mugs and float a slice of the second orange in each, keeping the pot on the lowest heat or a slow cooker set to warm.
Notes
- A shot of dark rum or bourbon belongs in the individual mug, not the pot, so the batch stays suitable for everyone.
- Fresh unfiltered cider tastes far better than shelf-stable apple juice, which goes flat and syrupy when heated.
