Mulled Apple & Rum Punch
That we are currently in Tier 2 of COVID restrictions and therefore only allowed to meet (six) friends outside was all the excuse I needed to whip up my mulled apple and rum punch. Because if you’re going to stand outside socialising in December, then you darn well better have a warm drink in your hand. And somehow a cuppa doesn’t cut it, does it?
You can make this punch ahead of time and reheat it when needed. In fact, I think it improves with a bit more time to mull. If you do this, follow the instructions below but leave out the rum. When you are ready to serve, reheat the mixture, add the rum, then ladle it out into heatproof glasses. No sense in giving the alcohol too many opportunities to burn off now is there?
Mulled Apple and Rum Punch
Yield: 6 (2 small glasses each)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min
Warm mulled apple juice with Christmas spices - juniper, cloves, cinnamon, star anise - and a kick of rum to keep you warm.
Ingredients
- 2 ltr cloudy apple juice
- 500ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 1 spiced apple herbal tea bag (Pukka and Teapigs do them)
- ½ whole nutmeg
- 1 tsp cloves
- ½ tbsp juniper berries
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, zest pared
- 1 orange, zest pared
- 300ml rum
- Dried apple, to garnish
Instructions
- Put everything, except the dried apple, into a large saucepan over a low heat and bring, very gently, to steaming point. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then switch off the heat and fish out the tea bag.
- Serve in heatproof glasses with a little dried apple for garnish.
