Spiced Hard Cider Punch Recipes

WARM SPICED CIDER PUNCH

Steps:

• In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the apple cider, water, orange juice concentrate, nutmeg and ginger. Place cloves and cinnamon sticks on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Place bag in slow cooker. , Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Remove and discard spice bag. Garnish with orange slices and additional cinnamon sticks if desired.

SPICED CIDER PUNCH

Steps:

• Place sugar, spices and 1 cup cider in a saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in juice concentrate until melted., Transfer to a large pitcher. Stir in remaining cider. Refrigerate, covered, until cold., To serve, pour cider mixture into a punch bowl. Stir in ginger ale. If desired, garnish with orange slices.

CIDER PUNCH

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups apple cider, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Halve 1 orange; squeeze the juice into the pan and add the peels. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and let steep 10 to 15 minutes. Strain into a pitcher and add 3/4 cup apple brandy or bourbon. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve in tall glasses on the rocks or reheat and serve warm in punch mugs. Garnish with orange slices.

SPICY SPIKED CIDER

Steps:

• For Cinnamon-Sugar Rim, in small bowl, mix sugar and ground cinnamon. Pour onto plate; set aside.
• In 3-quart saucepan, place cloves, cinnamon sticks and star anise. Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Add apple cider and orange juice; simmer 10 minutes (do not boil). Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, lightly moisten rim of each of 4 mugs or glasses. Invert mugs into cinnamon-sugar; twist until rim has been evenly coated.
• Add rum to cooled cider; strain to remove spices. Place ice in mugs; ladle cider over ice.

WARM AND SPICY AUTUMN PUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stud the whole oranges with cloves, and bake for 30 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, combine the apple juice and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the nutmeg, honey, lemon juice, and pineapple juice.
• Serve hot in a punch bowl with the 2 clove-studded baked oranges floating on top.

CHAI-SPICED CIDER PUNCH

Steps:

• Bring spices, ginger, syrup, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Strain, and discard solids.
• Stir together spiced syrup and apple cider in a pitcher, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Pour spiced cider into punch bowl; stir in seltzer.

WARM CIDER AND RUM PUNCH

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine apple cider, apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and ginger. Bring to a boil over high; reduce to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. (Keep warm over low, up to 2 hours.) Remove from heat and stir in rum. Transfer to a punch bowl; serve warm.

HOT SPIKED CIDER

Steps:

• Pour water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and toss in the orange spice tea bags. Cover and let steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar, apple cider, rum, and 2 of the cinnamon sticks. Heat just to steaming -- do not boil.
• Ladle hot cider into 6 mugs and drop 1/2 teaspoon butter into each. Garnish with a cinnamon "swizzle" stick.