It’s the season of mulled apple drinks

It’s the season for curling up under a blanket with a hot drink. You can’t go wrong with a good cup of tea or hot chocolate, but on a cold, rainy day, nothing hits the spot like something mulled. This is a non-alcoholic mulled apple juice, and it tastes like autumn and warmth. The recipe is a real family favourite as it is, but if you want a little extra heat, you can make it with cider instead of apple juice, or add a little spiced rum or cognac at the end.

Serves four.

Ingredients

1 litre good apple juice
Zest of 1 orange, cut into strips
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cloves
Sugar, honey or agave syrup to taste

Method

1. Bring the apple juice, spices and orange zest to the boil and let it simmer until it tastes warmly and beautifully spicy. I usually simmer for about 10 minutes, but it’s a good idea to taste as you go. (If the cloves are very new, they can become a bit overpowering. If that happens, just remove them after five minutes, and let the other two spices work their magic for the next five.)
2. Lower the heat and remove the spices. Have another sip and add sweetener to taste. Leave on the heat and stir until the sweetener has dissolved.
3. Serve in your favourite mugs with some strips of orange zest in each. For an extra dose of koselig, serve with a cinnamon stick and a few apple slices in each mug. (This also goes great with cinnamon rolls!).
4. Enjoy!