Beverages
Cider Snap
Cathy Boshart
Lebanon, PA
Makes 12-16 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
2 qts. apple cider, or apple juice
4 Tbsp. red cinnamon candies
at least 16 apple slices
at least 16 cinnamon sticks
1. Combine cider and cinnamon candies in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on High 2 hours, or until candies dissolve and cider is hot.
3. Ladle into mugs and serve with apple-slice floaters and cinnamon-stick stirrers.
Note:
This is a cold-winter-night luxury. Make it in the morning and keep it on Low throughout the day so its good fragrance can fill the house.
Variation:
Use cran-apple juice instead of apple cider or juice.
Anita Troyer
Fairview, MI
Maple Mulled Cider
Leesa Lesenski
Wheatley, MA
Makes 8-10 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
½ gallon cider
3-4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. whole cloves
2 tsp. whole allspice
1-2 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate, optional
1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup, optional
1. Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Heat on Low 2 hours. Serve warm.
Note:
Serve at Halloween, after Christmas caroling, or for sledding parties.
Shirley Unternahrer, Wayland, IA
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 5 minutes • Cooking Time: 5 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
2 qts. apple cider
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1. Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 5 hours. Stir.
Note:
Our kids just tried hot mulled cider for the first time this past Christmas. They loved it. It’s fun to try new old things.
Deep Red Apple Cider
Judi Manos
West Islip, NY
Makes 8-9 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 3-4 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
5 cups apple cider
3 cups dry red wine
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. whole cloves
¼ tsp. whole allspice
1 stick cinnamon
1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 3-4 hours.
3. Remove cloves, allspice, and cinnamon before serving.
Variation:
You can use 8 cups apple cider and no red wine.
Orange Cider Punch
Naomi Ressler
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 9-12 6-oz. servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-10 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole nutmeg
2 cups apple cider, or apple juice
6 cups orange juice
fresh orange thinly sliced
1. Combine all ingredients except orange slices in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 4-10 hours or on High 2-3 hours, until heated through.
3. Float thin slices of orange in cooker before serving.
I like to sit down a couple of weeks before the holidays and write an outline of what needs to be done and how many days I need to do the work. I try to plan enough time so I don’t run out of time on the last day.
Jane Geigley, Honey Brook, PA
Wassail
Virginia Bender
Dover, DE
Makes 16-18 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-8 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.
1 gallon cider
6-oz. container frozen orange juice concentrate
6-oz. container frozen lemonade concentrate
½-1 cup brown sugar, according to your taste preference
1 tsp. whole nutmeg
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
orange slices
cinnamon sticks
1. Combine cider, orange juice and lemonade concentrates, and brown sugar in slow cooker. Mix well.
2. Place nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in cheesecloth bag or spice ball. Add to juices in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 2-8 hours, until the Wassail is as hot as you like it.
4. Float orange slices and cinnamon sticks on top. Ladle from slow cooker to serve.
Hot Cranberry Cider
Kristi See
Weskan, KS
Makes 10-12 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-9 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
½ gallon apple cider, or apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
½-¾ cup sugar, according to your taste preference
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole allspice
whole orange studded with cloves
1. Put all ingredients except orange studded with cloves in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on High 1 hour, and then on Low 4-8 hours, until thoroughly hot.
3. Float clove-studded orange in cooker. Serve hot.
Serving suggestion: To garnish Cider with an orange, insert 10-12½”-long whole cloves halfway into orange. Place studded orange in flat baking pan with sides. Pour in ¼ cup water. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Just before serving, float orange on top of hot Cider.
Note:
I come from a family of eight children, and every Christmas we all get together. We eat dinner, and then play games while drinking Hot Cranberry Cider.
Pomegranate Punch
Lindsey Spencer
Marrow, OH
Makes 8 servings
Prep. Time: 5-7 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.
3 cups pomegranate juice
1-1½ cups cranberry juice cocktail, according to your taste preference
½ cup orange juice
3”-long cinnamon stick
1 tsp. grated ginger
1. Put all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 1-2 hours, or until heated through.
Christmas Wassail
Dottie Schmidt
Kansas City, MO
Makes 6-8 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.
2 cups cranberry juice
3¼ cups hot water
⅓ cup sugar
6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 stick cinnamon
5 whole cloves
2 oranges, cut in thin slices
1. Combine all ingredients except oranges in slow cooker. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cover. Cook on High 1 hour. Strain out spices.
3. Serve hot with an orange slice floating in each cup.
Fruity Hot Punch
Evelyn L. Ward
Greeley, CO
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
2 16-oz. cans jellied cranberry sauce
4 cups water
1 qt. pineapple juice
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¾ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground allspice
12 cinnamon sticks
butter, optional
1. Place cranberry sauce in slow cooker and mash with a potato masher.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker except cinnamon sticks and butter. Mix well.
3. Cover. Heat on Low 4 hours.
4. Serve in mugs with cinnamon-stick stirrers. Dot each serving with butter if you wish.
Note:
My daughter is a teacher and has served this at faculty meetings when it’s her turn to treat.
Fruity Wassail
Kelly Evenson
Pittsboro, NC
Makes 20 cups
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
6 cups apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ cup honey
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
46-oz. can pineapple juice
1. Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 1-2 hours, or until hot.
3. Serve warm from slow cooker.
Variation:
Use 3 cups cranberry juice, and reduce the amount of pineapple juice by 3 cups, to add more color and to change the flavor of the Wassail.
Spicy Citrus Warmer
Jean Butzer
Batavia, NY
Barbara Walker
Sturgis, SD
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
2½ qts. water
1½ cups sugar
1½ cups orange juice (with pulp is great!)
⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup pineapple juice
6”-long cinnamon stick, or two 3” sticks
1 tsp. whole cloves
1. Combine water, sugar, and juices in slow cooker. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add cinnamon stick to cooker. Place cloves in a tea ball. Close tightly and place in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 2-3 hours, or until heated through.
Tester Idea:
Add a half slice of orange or lime on the edge of each individual cup before serving.
Golden Wassail Punch
Susan Segraves
Lansdale, PA
Makes 9 cups
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 4-qt.
3 cups apricot nectar
3 cups orange juice
3 cups white grape juice
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
8”-long stick cinnamon, broken
½ tsp. cardamom, coarsely crushed
1. Combine juices and brown sugar in slow cooker. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Lay stick cinnamon and cardamom on a square of cheesecloth. Tie shut securely. Place in slow cooker and push down into liquid.
3. Cover. Cook on High 1 hour, or on Low 2-3 hours. Remove spice bag before serving.
Hot Buttered Lemonade
Janie Steele
Moore, OK
Makes 5-6 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2½ hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 2-qt.
4½ cups water
¾ cup sugar
1½ tsp. grated lemon peel
¾ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
6 cinnamon sticks
1. Combine water, sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice, and butter in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on High 2½ hours, or until well heated through.
3. Serve very hot with a cinnamon stick in each mug.
When juicing a lemon, let it come to room temperature. You’ll get more juice if you do. Then, using some pressure, roll it under your hand on the counter before juicing it so that it releases its juice more easily. Freeze any extra juice in 1 Tbsp. amounts in an ice cube tray.
Becky Frey, Lebanon, PA
Hot Fruit Tea
Kelly Evenson
Pittsboro, NC
Makes 20 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
5-6 tea bags, fruit flavor of your choice
2 cups boiling water
1¾ cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2½ qts. water
1¼ tsp. vanilla
1¼ tsp. almond extract
juice of 3 lemons
juice of 3 oranges
1. Steep tea bags in 2 cups boiling water for 5 minutes.
2. Bring tea water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and 2½ qts. water to boil in saucepan.
3. Pour into slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Turn slow cooker to Low. Keep tea warm on Low while serving.
Serving suggestion: Float thinly cut fresh lemon and/or orange slices in tea.
Johnny Appleseed Tea
Sheila Plock
Boalsburg, PA
Makes 8-9 cups
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
2 qts. water, divided
6 tea bags of your favorite flavor
6 ozs. frozen apple juice, thawed
¼ cup, plus 2 Tbsp., firmly packed brown sugar
1. Bring 1 qt. water to boil in large saucepan. Add tea bags. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 5 minutes. Pour into slow cooker.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Cover. Heat on Low until hot. Continue on Low while serving from slow cooker.
Note:
I serve this wonderful hot beverage with cookies at our Open House Tea and Cookies afternoon, which I host at Christmas-time for friends and neighbors.
Ginger Tea
Evelyn Page
Gillette, WY
Makes 8 cups
Prep. Time: 5-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.
4 cups boiling water
15 single green tea bags
4 cups white grape juice
1-2 Tbsp. honey, according to your taste preference
1 Tbsp. minced fresh gingerroot
candied ginger pieces, optional
1. Place boiling water and tea bags in slow cooker. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard tea bags.
2. Stir in juice, honey, and gingerroot.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 2 hours, or until heated through.
4. Strain if you wish before pouring into individual cups.
5. Garnish each cup with candied ginger, if you wish.
Triple Delicious Hot Chocolate
Jennifer Freed
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2¼ hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 2- to 3-qt.
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp. salt
3 cups milk, divided
¾ tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1 square (1 oz.) bittersweet chocolate
1 square (1 oz.) white chocolate
¾ cup whipped topping
6 tsp. mini-chocolate chips, or shaved bittersweet chocolate
1. Combine sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and ½ cup milk in medium-sized bowl. Stir until smooth. Pour into slow cooker.
2. Add remaining 2½ cups milk and vanilla to slow cooker. Cover. Cook on Low 2 hours.
3. Stir in cream. Cover. Cook on Low 10 minutes.
4. Stir in bittersweet and white chocolates until melted.
5. Pour hot chocolate into 6 mugs. Top each with 2 Tbsp. whipped topping and 1 tsp. chocolate chips or shavings.
Crockery Cocoa
Betty Hostetler, Allensville, PA
Makes 9-12 servings, depending on size of mugs
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-4 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
½ cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
3½ cups nonfat dry milk powder
6 cups water
1 tsp. vanilla
mini-marshmallows
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1. Combine sugar and cocoa powder in slow cooker. Add 2 cups boiling water. Stir well to dissolve.
2. Add dry milk powder, 6 cups water, and vanilla. Stir well to dissolve.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours or on High 1-1½ hours.
4. Before serving, beat with rotary beater to make frothy. Ladle into mugs. Top with marshmallows and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Variations:
1. Add ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg, along with ground cinnamon in Step 4.
2. Mocha-style—Stir ¾ tsp. instant coffee crystals into each serving in Step 4.
3. Coffee-Cocoa—Pour half-cups of freshly brewed, high quality coffee. Top with half-cups of Crockery Cocoa.
Hot Chocolate with Stir-Ins
Stacy Schmucker Stoltzfus
Enola, PA
Makes 12 6-oz. servings
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
9½ cups water
1½ cups hot chocolate mix
Stir-ins:
smooth peanut butter
chocolate-mint candies, chopped
candy canes, broken
assorted flavored syrups: hazelnut, almond, raspberry, Irish creme
instant coffee granules
cinnamon
nutmeg
whipped topping
candy sprinkles
1. Pour water into slow cooker. Heat on High 1-2 hours. (Or heat water in tea kettle and pour into slow cooker.) Turn cooker to Low to keep hot for hours.
2. Stir in hot chocolate mix until blended.
3. Arrange stir-ins in small bowls.
4. Instruct guests to place approximately 1 Tbsp. of their choice of stir-ins in their mugs before ladling in hot chocolate. Stir well.
5. Top each filled mug with whipped topping and candy sprinkles.
Anita Troyer, Fairview, MI
Makes 8 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes • Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.
8 cups milk
⅛ tsp. cinnamon, or 2 3”-long cinnamon sticks
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
whipped topping, optional
sprinkling of ground cinnamon, optional
1. Put all ingredients except whipped topping and sprinkling of ground cinnamon in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 2-3 hours, taking care to make sure it doesn’t boil.
3. Garnish individual servings with whipped topping and a sprinkling of cinnamon if you wish.
Tip:
I usually make a larger recipe than I will need, and then refrigerate the leftovers. We like it either reheated, or as creamer in our coffee. This drink is very soothing and helps everyone relax!
Viennese Coffee
Evelyn Page
Gillette, WY
Makes 4 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 1½- to 2-qt.
3 cups strong brewed coffee
3 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 tsp. sugar
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup crème de cacao, or Irish cream liqueur
whipped cream, optional
chocolate curls, optional
1. In a slow cooker, combine coffee, chocolate syrup, and sugar.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 2½ hours.
3. Stir in heavy cream and crème de cacao.
4. Cover. Cook 30 minutes more, or until heated through.
5. Ladle into mugs. Garnish if you wish with whipped cream and chocolate curls.
