Winter Warmer: Mulled Apple Juice

The festive season brings lots of diary dates for gatherings and parties with loved ones and that usually means having a drink or two as well.

One of the (very few) downsides about living in the Dordogne is the distance we all live from one another. The peace and tranquillity of country-living means having no one within walking distance. Having a car is therefore essential for engaging in social activities, otherwise we’d all be stuck alone!

Since everyone drives, it’s not possible to offer guests a tipple containing alcohol. Instead a deliciously warming alternative is to brew up a big pot of mulled apple juice. With all the taste and aroma of its alcoholic counterpart, mulled apple juice is the perfect alternative for remaining t-total. The best thing is, you can drink as much as you like without suffering the sore head the next day! 

Mulled apple juice recipe:

• 1 litre cloudy apple juice
• 250 ml orange juice
• 1/2 apple
• 1/2 orange
• 3-5 star anise
• A few black peppercorns
• 5-8 whole cloves
• 1-2 crushed cardamom pods (you can substitute the pods for 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom instead)
• Handful of raisins
• White sugar to taste (optional)

Method

• Heat up the apple juice until it’s steaming but not boiling.
• Add all the spices, fruit and orange juice
• Keep on a very low heat to let the spices infuse. The longer you leave it, the stronger the mulled taste will be. Around 20-30 mins is sufficient
• Add sugar to sweeten if desired● Serve in mugs and enjoy the taste of Christmas!