My Favorite Slow Cooker Mulled Cider

KELLI NAPOTNIK

Last night, the temperatures in our area dropped to 17 degrees. It seems no sooner than Thanksgiving is over than winter moves in! I love having something warm to sip, especially festive drinks my whole family can enjoy. So, I made a batch of slow cooker cider and had it simmering on my counter. I enjoyed the warm, fragrant smell and I may have been guilty of playing Christmas music while my 3 year old napped. As my older kids walked in the door that evening, I was happy to pass them each a warm cup of their own.

To make this simple Slow-Cooker Mulled Cider, you'll need the following:

INGREDIENTS:

1 gallon of apple cider (the best kind to use has no added sweeteners or spices) I found mine at our grocery store made from local apples!
1 medium orange sliced
5 cinnamon sticks (If you don't have cinnamon sticks, you can substitute roughly 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon per stick)
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp allspice berries (optional)
Sliced apples or oranges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

To make the slow cooker mulled cider, simply pour the gallon of apple cider into the crock pot.
Next, measure out your spices and cinnamon sticks and add them to the cider.
Add in the sliced oranges and then cook on LOW for 4 hours.
Serve with a garnish of sliced apples or oranges (or both)! You can make this recipe on your stovetop as well, but using my slow cooker is my preference.

My thirteen-year-old daughter (soon to be fourteen) loves to bake. Lately she's been baking cookies for us after dinner. Last night, she made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I will share her recipe below! These cookies would be perfect to put in bags to pass out to neighbors as a festive, delicious treat. They also would go great with your cider.

Anya's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined; stir in vanilla extract.
Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just blended. Mix in quick oats, raisins and chocolate chips. Drop batter by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Pro tip for sharing cookies: freeze baked cookies in layers with parchment between each layer in a zip lock bag to enjoy later or save to give to a friend in need. You can also freeze the unbaked dough by dropping the dough onto a cookie sheet and then freezing. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a zip-lock bag! They can be stored frozen for up to 3 months!

#1: Looking for a fun way to spice up your gift wrapping this holiday season? Try this neat Christmas Tree Wrapping Hack!

#2: This Sugar Cookie Loaf is absolutely DELICIOUS! It is fluffy, moist, and packed with sprinkles

#3: If you're looking for treats to take this holiday season, Nadia shared a past blog post filled with great ideas!

#4: These Cookie Butter Cookies are ready to be the star of your next Potluck! Perfect to include with a meal, too

#5: Here are some Tips for Visiting a New Mom and her Baby we recently pinned on our Pinterest!

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