Fresh Spiced Apple Cider

There’s something so inviting about warm spices simmering in your kitchen.This is a silky, luxurious cider, one made from an array of fresh apples, seasoned allspice, cloves, cinnamon and star anise along with a touch of fresh orange juice. Finish with dark brown sugar a touch more cinnamon plus nutmeg, and perhaps a splash of good bourbon – now you’re ready to greet the holidays!

There is nothing more inviting than walking in the door and the aroma of apples and spices are wafting through the air. Emily frequently has cider simmering on the stove for her holiday guests and it’s always met with excitement. No matter the weather outside, sipping on warm apple cider is a welcome gift for family and friends.

And though you can grab a jug of cider from the market, if you happen to have a bowl of apples sitting around your kitchen, making this seasonal favorite from scratch is really quite easy. Take a blend of both sweet and tart apples, a pour of fresh orange juice and an array of whole spices including allspice, cloves, cinnamon and star anise.

Simmer together in a slow cooker until the slices of apples are falling apart, purée and simmer a little longer.

Run the cider through a blender until it’s silky smooth, stir in a bit of sweetness from dark brown sugar and more spice from cinnamon and nutmeg. Set up a tray with cups, napkins, spoons and maybe a good bottle of bourbon.

Now let your guests help themselves to this luscious and comforting cup of comfort!

Fresh Spiced Apple Cider

This cider is thicker than most commercial ciders, with an almost silky texture – a luscious treat!

4 pounds assorted apples, such as McIntosh, Jonagold, and Granny Smith

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 2 large navel oranges

8 cups water*

1 teaspoon whole allspice

1 teaspoon whole cloves

5 cinnamon sticks

3 whole star anise

¾ cup dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Bourbon for serving, optional

Core the apples and cut them into thick slices – it’s okay to leave the peel on the apples.

Toss the apples into a large slow cooker (7-quart capacity). Pour in the orange juice and the water. Place the allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick and star anise into a large mulling spice ball or bundle them up in cheese cloth. Set the spices in the crockpot along with the apples.

Cover the crockpot and set it on high and cook for 4 hours until the apples are very tender.

After 4 hours, use an immersion blender and purée the apples. Continue cooking, covered for an additional 2 hours on high to allow the cider to reduce and intensify in flavor. At this point you can refrigerate or process the cider base in a blender.

Remove the spice ball and working in batches, pour the cider into a blender. Process starting on low, then on high for about 20 to 25 seconds.

Transfer the apple cider back to a slow cooker; the cider will look frothy. Stir in the dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg, adding more or less to suit your taste. Keep the apple cider warm using the low setting of the slow cooker.

Serve with a good bourbon or straight up. *If you need to cut the cooking time in your slow cooker, you can substitute the water for apple juice. Then just cook on high in the slow cooker until the apples are very tender – about 2 hours – before processing with a blender. Makes 6 servings.