Recipes of Autumn; Inn on Randolph’s Spiced Apple Cider

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We know, we know - Pumpkin Spice everything is popular right now, and rightly so! But we want to fall back (catch our pun?) on an autumn season classic that will be perfect for yourself or any small gathering you have between now and the end of the holiday season.

The basics to every great spiced apple cider begins with legit - you guessed it, apple cider! Now, you think it’s that simple, it’s apple cider - therefore it’s all good. Well, at this point it’s glorified organic apple juice, and while yes that’s absolutely tasty, it’s the spiced aspect that’s not only going to offer a complex flavor profile, but really bring out the aromatics of a home wafting with the comforting scent of fall as you prepare it.

Ingredients:

• 16oz. Apple Cider
  • If you truly want to go home made, then substitute the apple cider with 10-12 halved apples (variety of sweet and tart) with 10-12 cups of water. Plan to boil for 45-60 minutes in a covered pot prior to adding additional ingredients per the regular instructions.
• 6-8 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
  • You can substitute with ground cinnamon in quantities of 1-2 teaspoons per cinnamon stick you replace.
•  2-3 Apples, Thinly Sliced
  • We recommend a more tart apple for this since apple cider itself is naturally sweet!
• 1-2 Oranges or 3-4 Mandarin Oranges, Thinly Sliced
• 6-8 Whole Cloves
• 1 Whole Nutmeg or 1 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
• 4-5 Whole Allspice or 1-2 Teaspoon Allspice
• 2-3 Whole Star Anise
• 1-2 Teaspoon of ground Ginger or 1 Inch of Fresh Ginger

Optional Ingredient:

•  Up to ½ c. of alcohol per 16 oz. of Apple Cider (Bourbon being the popular pairing of
  choice).

Instructions:

1. In any pot appropriate for the quantity of apple cider you aim to prepare, pour your batch of apple cider into the pot, and set it on the stove at medium to medium-high heat.
2. As your cider comes to a gentle simmer, slowly add in your varying spices.
3. Raise the stove to medium-high or high heat and allow the spiced cider to gently boil for about 15-20 minutes. Your kitchen (or hopefully your home) should begin to smell heavenly.
4. Turn off the heat and allow your spiced apple cider to cool before serving. Now is the time to add the optional ingredient.
5. You can either choose to strain the cider of its varying spices or keep them in to individually serve in cups or for aesthetic purposes.

You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. If you plan to store any of your cider be sure to strain it first and add fresh cinnamon sticks/apples/oranges etc. as desired when bringing out to serve again.

ENJOY!

Experience the Inn
An Inn on Randolph Blog & Blog-Cast
Written & Voiced by Victoria Shavlik-Veeninga