Need a festive hot drink recipe.

[JenniferSylvie]

We have been invited to a friends house for a holiday get together Saturday. It's Florida, so we will be outside, but it will be chilly for us. The hostess requested that I bring a festive, non alcoholic hot drink to share. Any ideas/recipes? I will need to transport it and won't want to do too much prep there, so something that will still taste good if it cools off a little.

[TeresaSan]

I would make an apple cider, because it tastes good hot or cold, I think anyway. You can make one easily. I don't have a specific that I use every year, I just google it each year and pick a recipe. Maybe someone else will have a great one to share.

[Carol S]

:yes: Agreeing with Teresa. I like it fine just with spices (cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole allspice) but it's also really tasty with lemon and orange slices floated in it and looks a bit more festive that way.:santasmile:

[Nikki]

I traditionally make this Wassail recipe:

1 gallon apple cider
1 large can pineapple juice
3/4 c. strong tea
Place in a cheesecloth sack:
1 tbsp. whole cloves
1 tbsp. whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

Place all ingredients in a crockpot, electric urn, or pan on the stovetop. Let simmer slowly for 4-6 hours. Add water if it evaporates too much.

I also like to make this Cranberry Tea Punch (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/KindredHeart/439872/) on Christmas Eve. :)

[Merrilee Morse]

My thinking is similar to Nikki; I got a recipe for a wassail bowl in an email group I belong to, and this recipe sounded SOOOOO :yum: I thought I would try it this year.

one quart boiling water
4 tea bags
one gallon apple cider
2 quarts orange juice
one quart cranberry juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
one and one half cups sugar
five cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
one orange

Insert cloves into orange and set aside. Steep tea bags for five minuters in the boiling water. Remove tea bags and add juices and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add the orange and the cinnamon sticks. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove orange and keep the wassail warm

[Melanie in OH]

A friend of mine said Starbucks had an Apple Cider recipe that was basically caramel added to hot apple cider. When she makes it she just adds a tablespoon of caramel to a cup of hot apple cider.

[Linda]

Glogg!

I've never tried this recipe. I've only made Glogg w/ wine, a very long time ago :lol:. This one looks pretty good though.

Non-Alcoholic Glogg

10 whole cloves
7 cardamom pods, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2" piece ginger root
2 cups water
10 whole almonds, cut into halves
1 3/4 cups raisins
1 cup pitted prunes
1 orange, cut into quarters
2 gallons apple juice or apple cider
1/3 cup sugar

Directions:
Tie cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger in cheesecloth bag. Heat spice bag, water, almonds, raisins, prunes and orage to boiling in Dutch oven, crock pot or large pot. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Remove spice bag, prunes and orange. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and heat until mixture begins to bubble. Ladle almond half and a few raisins in to each cup before filling with hot Glogg.

Makes 24 half-cup servings.
This traditional yuletide drink is served warm; dark and spicy it's sure to warm up any gathering or celebration.

[Tami in FL]

JavaJackie posted sometime back about her all time favorite Christmas recipe and it was for a warm drink that sounded like it would be very good. I don't know how to post where it is or any of that fancy stuff but I am sure you can look for it. It isn't too far back.

[Tricia O]

We made apple cider this weekend and it was great. We used a gallon of apple cider, one orange (thinly sliced & put into pot), 3 sticks of cinnamon, and maybe 1 teaspoon each of allspice & cloves, and also added about 1/2 cup of brown sugar. We let it simmer on the stove for most of the day. :yum:

[JenniferSylvie]

Thanks to all of you who replied, I ended up making wassail. It was :yum: , all the others enjoyed it too. Thanks for your help and suggestions.