Mulling spices

 Remember the dried orange peel from Monday?

Well, THIS is another reason why I wanted some so badly.    

Mulled Cider!



I love it.  As much as I adore hot coca, sometimes I need a little cinnamony appley orangey goodness.  

Here is a recipe Linda gave me last year.  It makes drying all those orange peels worth the effort.

Mulling spices

2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground orange peel

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

To use:
This is how you are supposed to do it.  This is a little ritual followed all over the world (I think...at least it seems to be.)
While heating 1 cup of either apple juice or wine, place 1 scant tablespoon (give or take) of  spices in a little sachet of cheesecloth and tie it up with kitchen string. 

Now, immerse (I used a big word instead of plunk.  I really wanted to use plunk.)  it in a hot glass of apple juice (or wine.) 
Let it steep 5ish minutes, until the sugar has dissolved.  That little clothes pin is holding the sachet string so I don't have to dig it out.

Pull out the sachet and enjoy.  

That's great but when I'm flying out the door to work with my hair on fire, I can't be bothered.  So here is how I  do it.  
See that little strainer?

Heat the apple juice to kazillion in the microwave, plop a bunch of spices in the apple juice, mix it around.  While it steeps, I dig for the cute thermos cup Jill gave me last year.  



Then strain the cider into the thermos cup.  It tastes just as good without the cutting and the tying and the dunking!  Plus, you don't have to squish the little bag against the side of the cup to get every little bit of goodness out of it.