A warm fire. A cozy room. A comfy chair. This cold-weather favorite completes the scene.

• 2 quarts unsweetened apple juice or apple cider
• 1 quart water
• 3 tea bags (regular or decaffeinated)
• 1/2 orange with peel, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon with peel, thinly sliced
• 12 whole allspice
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Ground allspice to taste
• 1 orange with peel, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 lemon with peel, thinly sliced (optional)

In a large saucepan, bring apple juice, water, tea bags, orange slices, lemon slices, whole allspice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. 
 
Remove the tea bags, orange and lemon slices, allspice, and cloves.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the ground allspice.

Serve hot or chilled.

Garnish with fresh slices of orange and lemon if desired.

on Bouquet Garni: For easy removal of the allspice and cloves from the juice mixture, make a bouquet garni. Tie the spices in cheesecloth or put them in a tea ball. When the cider is ready, you won’t have to round up the spices, piece by piece. Most often made of parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, bouquets garnis are time-savers in soups and stews also.