On a cold, blustery day, nothing warms you to the core like a nice hot cup of mulled cider. Black pepper adds an unexpected kick to this version. Bring a pitcher to your next festive fall gathering, paired with our fresh apple pie.
Game plan: If you prefer, you can remove the steeping ingredients before serving by pouring the cider through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Yields: 1 gallon
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: 30 mins
- Active: 10 mins
Ingredients (9)
- 1 gallon apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
- 10 whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 2 strips orange peel, about 2 inches long
- 6 dried allspice berries
- 4 heads star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- Orange twists, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except the orange twists in a large pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve the cider in heatproof mugs garnished with an orange twist, if desired.
