A Case of the Sickies and a Bottle of Rum
I think the three of us in my family have been sharing a cold back and forth for about the last month and a half. Just when I think we are starting to feel better, my throat will get scratchy, my husband starts hacking away, and Zemirah’s nose face faucet gets turned to full blast. Thankfully, no one has been sick sick, just the typical cold symptoms, but when my throat gets scratchy and sore, nothing makes me feel better than a hot drink. So when my husband and I started feeling under the weather, I made us some hot cider, and added a little rum to help our sore throats…then realized it was the perfect Christmas party punch!
So here is a simple hot apple cider recipe that you can toss in your slow cooker (I have this little one, perfect for my little family) and enjoy an hour later! It’s sweet, spiced, warm, and, with sliced fruit and cinnamon sticks, it looks pretty enough to serve at your Christmas party! If you want the adults only version, you can either spike the whole batch with spiced rum, or add shots to individual mugs. Either way you make it, this cider does in fact soothe a sore throat, smells amazing, and tastes even better!
Slow Cooker Apple Cider
Makes 2 quarts, but can be adjusted for a bigger slow cooker.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of unfiltered apple juice (the cloudy kind)
- 2 cups of water
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp of whole cloves
- One Gala apple, sliced in rounds
- One orange, sliced in rounds
- Optional: 1/2-3/4 cup of spiced rum
Directions:
- Stud apple rounds with cloves on the outer edges
- Combine studded apples and remaining ingredients in slow cooker
- Cook on high for one hour
- After one hour, turn slow cooker to “keep warm”
- Serve hot in mugs (if you are not spiking the whole batch of cider, add one shot of spiced rum to mug if desired)
- Keep leftovers covered, in fridge, and reheat in your slow cooker
For another hot holiday drink, check out my Death by Hot Chocolate, and be sure to serve alongside some holiday treats, such as Molasses Cookies or Two Layer Paleo Fudge. Other treats I have on my site include: Dark Chocolate Paleo Brownies, Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars, No Bake Chocolate Date Cake, and Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies. It’s that time of year, so go ahead and bake you some healthier treats!
No matter what you end up making this cider for, cold remedy or holiday party, I know it will put warmth in your heart and belly; you will want to curl up under a fuzzy blanket with your cider and a Christmas movie. Stay cozy and warm…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!
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