I  love Christmas, it does seem to begin earlier every year though. This last week my facebook timeline has been awash with people showing their lovely decorations and trees. While I haven’t got my tree up yet, a few decorations have emerged from their boxes and the children are getting super excited. Harry at 20 months, is particularly amused by the all singing, all dancing festive characters that we have accumulated over the years.

After a busy week, which I’m glad to see the back of, I felt a treat was in order before tackling the coming week, getting back to normal and stuck into some festive baking and crafts with the children.

I had a bottle of cider in the press, a quick rummage in the spice basket found me some cloves, star anise and luckily, one last cinnamon stick. Then I grabbed a clementine from the fruit bowl……….Mulled Cider, lets be having you!

Ingredients for two servings

500ml Cider

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 Star Anise

2 Cloves

1 Clementine, sliced

Method

Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, leave for a minimum of 15 minutes. The longer you leave it the more flavoursome it will be, but even after just 15 minutes you will have a deliciously warm, festive drink that smells wonderful.

This recipe is really just a base, and although it is delicious, there is more you can do with it. If you have a sweet tooth add some brown sugar or some honey, if you like it spicier and more cloves, extra cinnamon, some grated nutmeg or ginger. Pomegranate seeds, lemon peel or orange zest also work beautifully.

Whatever way you perfect your Mulled Cider, the end result will be a wonderfully warm drink that will see you enter the spirit of  what I’m sure will be a fabulous festive season!