Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (117 page)

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.