Brown sugar, apple, cinnamon
Pair with spice cake, or with popcorn and chestnuts around a fire.
A hot toddy with half a baked apple in it? Yes, please. Inspired by early bartender Jerry Thomas, this recipe should be in the repertoire of anyone who enjoys fall camping. Just double-wrap the apples in foil, put them on the coals of your bonfire, and remove them when they’re soft. But the oven will also do.
2 ounces (60 ml) apple brandy (Laird’s)
½ small apple, cored
½ tablespoon (7 g) butter
1 tablespoon (15 g) brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the apple faceup in a small baking dish and top with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until fork tender.
To prepare the toddy, drop the apple half into a glass coffee mug (make sure to scoop up any drippings, and add that, too), then top with brandy and boiling water. Grate nutmeg over the top. Serve with a spoon.
HOLIDAY COCKTAILS
For a holiday open house, consider offering both a hot drink and a cool, frothy drink that are easy to prepare in advance. You can keep one warming on the stove and serve the other from a pitcher in the fridge. For a holiday dinner, serve a round of Trinidad Sours or Seelbach cocktails before the meal—both are festive and pair well with cheese and charcuterie.
If you want to impress guests with something adventurous, prepare a round of Stout Flips—think dark beer and nutmeg—or a Smoking Bishop, which involves roasting a whole orange and floating it in fortified wine. Serve either with cookies and popcorn, and break out a game. Don’t forget to send guests home with recipe cards.
Eggnog (page 229)
Roasted Apple Hot Toddy (page 216)
Trinidad Sour (page 142)
Seelbach Cocktail (page 66)
Smoking Bishop (page 221)
Stout Flip (page 153)
Atholl Brose (page 230)
Burning Branch (page 237)