I've begun a tradition of making wassail for certain events, all around midwinter, each year. Each time I make it, I look up several recipes to figure out what I should include, and then I pretty much wing it. This time, I'm writing down a recipe to come back to. All the measurements are approximate guesses - add things until your heart is happy (or your crockpot is full).
This tastes great, is super easy to make, and it makes the house smell amazing while it simmers.
The Basic Recipe:
Apple Cider 8-10 cups my crockpot will hold about 10 cups
Orange Juice 2 cups pulp-free Simply Orange is my preference
Lemon Juice 1/2 cup
Honey 1/2 cup Honey OR Brown Sugar, not both
Brown Sugar 1 Tbsp Honey OR Brown Sugar, not both
Cloves (ground) 1-2 tsp you can also use 10-15 whole cloves
Cinnamon 1-2 tsp or 4-6 sticks, or a mix of the two
Ginger 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg 1/2 tsp
Options & Extra Additions:
Apples & Oranges cut up a couple of each and float the pieces - get the smaller ones
Star Anise enough to float and be pretty
Cranberries enough to float and be pretty
Cranberry Juice instead of the Lemon Juice (Pineapple Juice is also an option, but not for me)
Instructions:
Put all the juices in the crockpot and turn it on high. Don't overfill it - you need room for mixing. I always put too much cider in, instead of leaving room for the rest. Then turn the crockpot on high and leave it alone for like half an hour so it can get warm.
Add the honey and the ground spices, mix it well. The honey won't mix at first, but once it's warm, be sure to get it all off the bottom of the pot.
Cut up the apples and oranges. Remember to take the stickers off before cutting them up. Smaller fruit lets you make pretty slices that will float on top.
Add other floating pieces - the cinnamon sticks, star anise, and/or cranberries.
Let it cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally. Then turn it to low and let it simmer that way until the end of your event or until it runs low.
I suggest putting a ladle in a bowl, sitting on a tray, for serving. Ladle a generous amount into large coffee mugs. Try to get a little of the floating pieces into each mug.
Optionally, top with whipped cream and some shaken cinnamon, a swirl of caramel, or a cinnamon stick tucked in.
If there's any left, let it cool, then pour it back into the cider jug without any of the floating bits. Label the jug WASSAIL, and you can microwave it for a quick warm drink.
