There's just nothing better than a Dutch oven simmering with apple cider, fresh oranges, and cinnamon sticks to make your home smell holiday-ready. A part of England's Christmas tradition for centuries, wassail is a scrumptious spiced cider practically begging to be sipped beside the fireplace. Early versions of this Christmas punch included warmed wine, mead, or ale combined with roasted apples, sugar, and spice. This recipe holds fast to tradition with whole bobbing apples and a multitude of warming spices, plus a festive twist using apple cider and cranberry juice in place of the alcohol. Of course, a splash of bourbon or brandy adds a definite kick!
What is the tradition of wassail?
The term "wassail" has multiple meanings. First appearing in the English poem Beowulf in the 8th century, the word has been used as a salutation or toast to good health. In England, it also describes a 12th night of Christmas gathering in fruit orchards where dancing, drinking, and singing encourage spirits to provide a good harvest in the coming year. Wassailing can also simply mean Christmas caroling door to door. But today, wassail refers to the cozy, hot holiday beverage that you'll find here, too. It's the most delicious way to warm up after a cold night of caroling!
What is wassail made of?
This non-alcoholic Christmas drink is essentially apple cider infused with fresh orange, lemon, roasted apples, and lots of spice. Think: cozy cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and star anise. It's important here to use both ground and whole spices, so don't skip either. The ground spices flavor the roasted apples through their core and have a stronger aroma than the whole spices while the whole cinnamon sticks and star anise pods couldn't be prettier floating in this drink! The final step before serving is adding in those sweet, tender roasted apples and cranberry juice cocktail. Not only does the cranberry juice add a bright, tart note, it gives the drink a gorgeous rosy hue in your punch bowl.
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- Yields:
- 4 qt.
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
- 6
small honeycrisp apples
- 6 tbsp.
dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp.
ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp.
ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp.
ground allspice
- 1 gal.
apple cider, divided
- 1
medium navel orange
- 10
whole cloves
- 2
medium lemons
- 2
cinnamon sticks
- 3
star anise pods
- 1 c.
cranberry juice cocktail
Bourbon or brandy, to serve (optional)
Frozen cranberries, thawed, to serve (optional)
Directions
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Step 2Using a paring knife, cut out the core and stem of each apple, leaving about the bottom 1/2 inch of each apple intact. Using a small spoon or grapefruit spoon, scoop out any remaining core and seeds to form a cavity in each apple. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Divide the brown sugar mixture among each apple cavity, firmly packing it as necessary.
- Step 3In the bottom of a pie plate or baking pan, pour 1 cup of the apple cider. Place the prepared apples in the pan and evenly spoon the sugar mixture into each apple. Bake until the apples are very tender and collapsing, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Step 4Meanwhile, cut the orange in half crosswise and stick the whole cloves in the peel. Cut one lemon in half and thinly slice the second lemon.
- Step 5In a large pot, add the prepared orange, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, and the remaining apple cider. Squeeze the halved lemon into the pot and add the sliced lemon. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until aromatic, 1 hour.
- Step 6Add the cranberry juice and the cooked apples with any of their juices to the pot and stir to combine. Taste for sweetness and add more brown sugar, if you like. Serve hot or warm, with alcohol of choice and cranberries, if you like.
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