Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram If Valentine’s one-handed cartwheel is any indication, it was definitely the right choice! I think this is how we all felt! I’ll be showing this photo to the kid’s truancy officer. How can you say this wasn’t educational?? She’s even holding a fistful of collected seashells in the hand you can’t see. Now we are back to reality and back to Halloween prep! Have you got your costume yet? I’m running our church’s Trunk or Treat and Chili Cookoff event this weekend, so we are all ready to go. Kind of. I think I left half my brain at the beach. I’m sure it will all come together in the end, right?? If you are on the hunt for something fun to serve the kiddos trick or treating around the neighborhood, may I suggest Wassail?? I had two revelations: cinnamon doesn’t just come in powder form, and also it’s possible to serve real glassware to people, even 15 people, instead of plastic Solo cups. And then you just…do the dishes afterward. 🤯 There was no end to my astonishment. (This was also the trip that I learned that people, real people, use cloth napkins, and not just the Queen of England.) The experience was so exotic compared to what I was used to, that Wassail has always held a special “fancy” place in my heart. But it’s actually not that fancy, it’s suuuper easy to throw together! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you, which my sister Laura helped me put together by combining a couple recipes, one from her mother-in-law, and the other from my friend Niki, who is part of our TFC writing team! What is wassail? It has a wide definition, but essentially it’s apple cider with some spices, often with a citrus twist. This “recipe” has been around since the middle ages (more on that below!) so that explains why there are about a million versions. After messing around a bunch, I’ve settled on one that I am in LOVE with. This is my wassail-recipe-forever, here’s why:
We’re using apple cider for the best, richest flavor brown sugar sweetens things up and adds rich molasses flavor citrus: this is my favorite hack. To bring in TONS of lemon and orange flavor without making it too sour, we are adding frozen lemonade and orange juice concentrates. This creates the perfect balance and a very RICH wassail that you probably haven’t tried before. LOTS of whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom, candied ginger, cloves, allspice berries, and nutmeg. I LOVE a spicy oomph wassail, but you can of course tone it down (especially if you’re feeding a buncha kiddos.) fresh oranges and apples bring in fresh flavor, and the freaking BEST snack for whoever is lucky enough to be the one making this. Seriously guys. After sitting in all this cider and spices, these apples and oranges taste like candy. I would eat them on ice cream. I would eat them with yogurt. I would eat them in a box. I would eat them with a fox. I would pull out each slice individually with my fingers with every pass through my kitchen…try not to judge.
Back in the middle ages (yes, that long ago!) wassailing was a Christmas time tradition where peasants and their feudal lords would exchange holiday good cheer. Peasants would ask for charity (“give us our figgy pudding”), and the lord would give food and drink in exchange for good will and harmony for the next year. It’s also how Christmas caroling got started! Isn’t that so fun? To get the real tea, read on wiki about wassailing, including the not-so-holiday-spirit side (“we won’t go until we get some!” 😳) Next time I come caroling at your house I’m not leaving until I get my figgy pudding! Just kidding, put away your pitchforks please. “Wassail” is kind of like “aloha.” It was a greeting, a farewell, and the name of the drink they lugged around with them door to door, where it was served communally. Meaning, everyone just took a swig from the same big ol’ bowl. YUM. (I’ll take an individual Christmas mug that my mother-in-law lovingly takes the time to wash afterward, thank you very much.)
Wassail recipe ingredients
You’ll love how simple this is to make. There are a few specialty items you may not have on hand, but they make all the difference! Look through this list, and be sure you check the recipe card for full instructions and ingredient measurements. Bring the water and sugar up to a boil, or almost a boil. The goal is to heat it enough that the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is mostly dissolved, start adding in all the rest of the ingredients, starting with the lemonade and orange juice concentrates: For a single batch of this recipe as written, you only need HALF of each can of lemon and orange concentrate. I realize this is annoying. But you need a HUGE pot to add all the liquid necessary for using the full cans of concentrate, so I opted to write the recipe for a smaller amount so that it will fit easily in a 6-quart pot. (If you have a big pot and want to double the recipe, see notes. If you don’t have a big pot and STILL want to double the recipe, I have a hack for that too!!) And now, we interrupt your regular programming to share this message: you can replace the orange and lemon concentrates with either cranberry or pineapple juice. Cranberry will lend a particular holiday-flavor, and pineapple is extra sweet and more tropical. All 3 versions are delicious, but if I had to pick, I would choose the citrus, so that’s why I included it in the recipe. This picture shows the amount you need for a DOUBLE batch of this wassail. Okay, back to the recipe! These are whole cloves and whole allspice berries: Using real, whole spices (not ground ones) makes a HUGE difference for flavor! Pour in your apple cider: And add in some candied ginger. This is a LOT of ginger, don’t add this much!! Candied ginger comes in all shapes and sizes, you want about 1 inch of candied ginger for a single batch. (When Laura made it, she bought ginger that was in tiny bits, so she added 8-10 pieces. I bought these big ol honkin pieces, and added that whole handful the first time around. It was SPICY!! 😂 1 inch is about what you want.) Add in the fresh fruit. Any type of apple will do, whatever you like or have on hand is great! Whatever you do, just don’t skip this step. I’m telling you, these apples and oranges are like CANDY at the end. So so good. And don’t forget the cinnamon sticks. They bring such amazing flavor! Plus they are so fun to garnish each mug with, cinnamon sticks feel so fancy. That’s it! Heat it up for an hour or so and serve. Don’t forget, you can also make this in the crockpot, see recipe!
If you’re looking to serve it as part of a tea, and want to have specific items to go alongside it, cookies that are less sweet and crispy are a great choice. Here are some of my faves!
Swedish Sour Cream Twists (Layered Yeast Cookies) » my favorite dipping cookie! flaky, pastry-like deliciousness Gingersnap Cookie Recipe » spice on spice, and I’m not sad about it Crispy Swedish Cardamom Cookies » a crispy-crunchy family classic we make every year Thin and Crispy Sugar Cookies (Grandma Prudy’s Recipe) » so buttery they shatter in your mouth in the BEST way Homemade English Tea Biscuits from Plum Deluxe The Classic Shortbread recipe that I’m posting here in a couple weeks. The BEST combo.
To reheat for a crowd, pour all of it into a pot on the stove or in a slow cooker and heat until warm. You might want to add a little water as you reheat, it tends to get more and more concentrated as time goes on. For individual servings, add some into a mug and warm in the microwave for a minute or two. Either way, be sure to leave some space in the bag or the jug (at least an inch or two) for the drink to expand. If the container is too full, it will overflow in the freezer and make a big mess (ask me how I know)! To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, on the counter for a few hours, or just put the whole frozen chunk in a pot on the stove or in a slow cooker and heat on low til warm.
