THERE’S an undeniable magic in sipping a piping hot drink on a cold day, especially when it’s infused with the aromatic symphony of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice – a fragrant overture to the festive season.
Now, despite the year-end monsoon lending a cool breeze, it’s not exactly winter wonderland temperature here in the tropics, making hot buttered cider a rarity.
Not surprisingly, this tradition never quite took root in our warm embrace, in stark contrast to the US where I studied.
Cue a flashback to a Christmas party many years ago when I was introduced to hot buttered cider.
The floating pomander piqued curiosity, albeit with a side of caution.
Before long, the cautious sippers succumbed, and by night’s end, the once-overflowing bowl had vanished.
Fresh apple juice adds a dimension of flavour and texture that brings back a bit more nostalgia to hot buttered cider.
For this enchanted elixir, I’ve blended fresh apples with bottled juice for that rustic, unfiltered charm without the labourious affair of squeezing apple juice.
The concoction can be prepared in advance and brought to a boil just before showtime.
A warm welcome is ensured with the chafing bowl, or get inventive with a makeshift version – stainless steel, tealights, but keep it steady to avoid tipping over.
Now, onto the star of the show – the spiced batter. Keep it cool in a butter dish nestled in an ice bath. Grab a slice without the gooey meltdown.
And arm your guests with cinnamon swizzle sticks for a stirring good time as they mingle.
Chafing bowl over tealight keeps the concoction warm. — Photos: LOW BOON TAT/The Star
For those keen on elevating the merriment, toss in a bottle of rum, orange liqueur or your favourite spirit to kick that holiday cheer up a notch.
In this tale of warmth, spice and spirited sips, let the aromatic adventure transport you to a place where each sip is a celebration – a toast to the joyous fusion of flavours and the season’s festive spirit. Cheers!
Hot buttered cider
Ingredients
7 apples
¼ tsp salt
2 litres pre-packaged apple juice
2 sticks cinnamon
1 orange
1 lemon
Spiced batter 400g
brown sugar
225g unsalted butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
Garnish
1 red apple
24 whole cloves
Orange and lemon slices
Cinnamon sticks
A splash of rum, optional
Directions
Whisk batter ingredients together until light and fluffy. Place on parchment paper and roll into two 2cm logs.
Chill in the refrigerator for about six hours until firm, or in the freezer for one hour.
Slice with a sharp knife into 30mm-thick discs and set aside in chiller until ready to serve.
Spiced batter – chill, roll into logs, slice and let melt in hot cider.
Blend apples with salt into a puree and filter with a tea sock.
With a potato peeler, peel the skin from orange and lemon into long strips, then extract juice from the fruits.
Place peelings into a pot together with cinnamon and all the juices, then bring to a boil.
Pour the hot cider into a chafing bowl over a tealight to keep warm.
Pomander – stick cloves into apple and float in cider with orange and lemon slices.
To garnish, stick cloves into the apple to make a pomander and float it in the hot cider with orange and lemon slices.
To serve, ladle the hot cider into small mugs, place a slice of spiced batter and allow it to slowly melt while stirring with a cinnamon stick.
If desired, add a splash of rum for a festive cheer.
