Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Spiced Cider

I seem to be falling into a pattern. Past posts seem to rely on oatmeal, and now the last post and this one are apple related. Oh, well. Maybe it's a relationship with being a bit seasonal - with the season certain things are common in the cooking. Winter tends to be a time for stews and roasts because warming up the kitchen is a pleasure and warming for the rest of the house. Summer barbecues and grilling means that heating the kitchen and the house isn't a problem.

Now that's not to say that I don't bake in the summer because I dearly love peach cobbler, blackberry cobbler or pie, and strawberry shortcake - just that I don't bake anywhere near as often. Nothing like getting the fruit in the morning either from the farmers market or from the garden, then cooking in the afternoon, and on the plate at supper (or before - you have to test it as the cook, you know)!

My daughter several years ago told me she likes my spiced cider better than a number of other people's because mine has more than just cinnamon. It does. If any of the spices don't appeal to you, leave them out, and if you don't have them, leave them out. It will be tasty anyway. The proportions are for a single serving

Spiced Cider for One

One cup of cider (or apple juice if it's what you prefer)
one inch of cinnamon stick
4 grates of nutmeg on a small grater
4 cardamom pods
1/4 ring of crystallized ginger
pinch of dried orange rind

Before making your cider, taste to determine sweetness. If it's tart, plan to sweeten with a bit of brown sugar. Usually a teaspoon or so will do the trick if it's needed at all.

Add the remaining ingredients. Heat to a boil, let simmer 5 minutes. Pour into a coffee cup, and enjoy!!! Great when the weather's cold enough your toes are chilly and you're too ornery to start the heat.

No comments:

Post a Comment