mulled cider with spiced rum, topped with cinnamon whipped cream.

mulled cider with spiced rum and cinnamon whipped cream.

mulled cider with spiced rum, topped with cinnamon whipped cream.  it was omg delicious.

i've been wanting to do something apple cider-y for a while.  after all we're living amongst trees and autumnal colors here, and there's something about brisk fall air rustling leaves on trees that sounds a lot like a voice whispering "apples are delicious.  eat apples.  bake apples.  drink apples."  okay, maybe there is no omniscient narrator in the woods telling me what to eat, but there is something about cold air that makes me want (wait, need) cinnamon and apples.

sure, there's apple pie.  it's delicious and trust me i've baked more than one this fall (and even if that meant i only baked two, which i'm not even saying i meant, that means at least one pie per person living in my house has been consumed).  but while at what i call "the farm stand near brattleboro" but is actually called dutton farm, i saw a packet of mulling spices and knew that mulled cider would have to be in my future.  

i started dreaming up what creative/fun thing i could do with the mulling spices.  i mean, mulled cider should be enough, but something about the christmas tree in the living room and these wonderful new irish coffee glasses that garret's aunt rusty gave us made me want (wait, need) to make something especially delicious.  i got to thinking about those warm, apple, spicy cocktails that wine bars, etc. have around the holidays.  i'm not one usually for cocktails (a good glass of cabernet or a cold beer is more my speed), but make it fancy enough, and i'll partake.  so i dreamt this up.

mulled cider with spiced rum, topped with cinnamon whipped cream

          you will need:

- mulling spices.  these can be found near the apples in most grocery stores. they come in tea bags or as loose spices.  or, i suppose, you could make them. 

-  apple cider.  i got locally made vermont cider. 

-  heavy whipping cream 

-  confectioner's sugar 

-  spiced rum, such as captain morgan's or bacardi.  i got bacardi oakheart.  note! i know nothing whatsoever about what constitutes "fine" rum, but i do know it should be spiced for this recipe. 

directions:

-  put the cider and the mulling spices on a low heat on the stove and let the cider heat and simmer slowly for at least a half hour.  the packet your spices came in should give you instructions as to a spices/cider ratio.

-  when your cider has simmered a while, it's time to make the whipped cream.  throw some cream (about 1/2 a cup) into a cold metal bowl.  add two tablespoons of confectioner's sugar and a sprinkle (or two or three or four) or cinnamon.  using an electric mixer, whip the cream until it gets firm.  it takes about 40-45 seconds. 

-  pour your cider into cups.  fancy glasses or cozy mugs seem best.-  pour a shot of your spiced rum into each.  give it a good, good stir. 

-  top with whipped cream

 enjoy!

a few notes:  i'd like to say this was all as perfect as the starry sky over vermont on a clear evening (seriously that is perfection) but actually the rum in the drink (or maybe it was the heat) started to curdle my whipped cream ever so slightly towards the end of my enjoying the heavenly flavor of the concoction.  

also if these had been really fancy, i would have at least thought to put a cinnamon stick in each glass.  just sayin'.

also i should note that i thought this up a few weeks ago, but didn't actually get around to making it until tonight.  that's because liquor stores are surprisingly hard to come across here!  wine and beer are both sold in the grocery store, but liquor is sold in state-run stores and in my experience at least, they are few and far between.  i'm not a big liquor drinker, so the only other time this was a problem was when i wanted to make penne a la vodka and just made "pasta with tomato cream sauce" instead.  i believe (though this might be me making things up) there was a liquor store in wilmington that got flooded in the storm.  so on my typical traveled paths, the only liquor store is just outside of brattleboro, which is about a 30 minute drive for me.  not necessarily a drive i felt i needed to make for this cocktail, delicious as it may have been.  anyway today we went grocery shopping in brattleboro, and apples on the brain, i stopped at the store on the way back to get some spiced rum.

in case you are curious (i was) this wikipedia article on what alcohol can be sold where and when in the US is pretty interesting.