Friends of ours bring us a LARGE mason jar filled with home-made Wassail every year around the holidays. It's my husbands absolute favorite gift! And even though it's a family gift, he's terrible at sharing it with us!
Given how popular this bright and cheery spiced mulled cider is in our HOME, I thought it would be fun to create a crock pot version for our family, so that we can enjoy it through the Winter months (and not just a few weeks in December).
Our friends were so gracious to give me their Wassail recipe, and I'm so happy to have it!
It's more of a traditional English version, which needs more preparation.
I was (secretly) hoping that it was going to be a simple recipe, and one that required little time to prepare; but it has more steps than I'm willing to do during the busy holiday season. So I researched Wassail recipes. There are so many! So so many! I even found some that call for alcohol, tea, and even eggs.
After researching (and taste-testing) lots of recipes, I finally created this one. It's a combination and tweaking of three Wassail recipes that I found on-line.
I'm really excited about it because it's so dang close to our friends' version, except mine is much easier (and faster) to make.
It's as easy as combing all the ingredients in a crock pot, and then letting the flavors marry together.
OK, so what are the ingredients? Apple cider, orange and pineapple juice . . . a squeeze of fresh lemon to cut through the sweetness . . . and then spices (cinnamon, cloves, and fresh ginger root - HELLO!) to 'warm/spice' it up! It's a winning combination!
I'm so excited to add - what I'm calling - Winter Wassail to our family holiday traditions!
There's something so comforting (and delicious) about a big pot of hot mulled cider simmering away in the kitchen. The scent of warm spices beckons for those wanting to be warmed up from the inside out.
It's a wonderful drink to share at a holiday Open House or party . . . or even on a weekend with family and friends who might be stopping by for a visit. I served it to our family at our New Year's Cookie Decorating party a few weeks ago . . . and everyone loved it!
I hope you and your family enjoy my version of this old-fashioned drink as much as we do!
Winter Wassail
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2 quarts apple cider (or spiced apple cider)
1-1/2 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
dash ground cinnamon
dash ground cloves
1.5- 2-inch piece of whole, fresh ginger root, skin removed
Note: Ginger
gives this drink a little kick/zing.
If you want more of a kick, you can add a
bigger piece of ginger.
. . . . . . .
In a large saucepan, combine all of the
ingredients. Stir well.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Serve hot in mugs.
. . . . . .
Crock pot version
In a crock pot, combine all of the ingredients. Stir well.
Set on HIGH for 1 hour, then reduce heat to LOW for up to 8 hours.
Serve hot in mugs.
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