Sorry for the silence. I've been dealing with death. Loss and grief. Crying at night while trying to keep myself together during the day. Long, stressful days. Lack of sleep.
But don't worry, I'm getting better. Day by day.
Although I've been visiting the dark places more often than usual, I've been cooking and baking a lot during these past two weeks. Whether I'm sad or happy, anxious or feeling glorious – in the end, it all comes down to standing in the kitchen. Chopping, stirring, braising, kneading. Creating food and sharing it with the ones I love. That's who I am. That's what keeps me going. Through the good times and the bad times.
I created a mulled cider recipe for the holiday season that lies ahead of us. Something to warm you up from the inside. A mug of comfort. I served it at a get-together last weekend and saw people getting second servings. The next day, they asked for the recipe. One friend even told me she was gonna serve it on Christmas Eve. Yes, this recipe is a winner.
Make this and share with your loved ones. Be grateful for the time you have together. It's worth more than gold.
Mulled Cider with Calvados
serves 2 – 3 (but the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled)
500 ml (~2 cups; 17 fl oz) unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice
zest of ½ an orange
1 cinnamon stick
½ a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
2 whole allspice berries
pinch of ground cloves
130 g (1 ½ dl, packed; 4.6 oz) light muscovado sugar
optional: 2 tbsp calvados
Combine all the ingredients, except the calvados, in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the spices (you can leave some for garnish, if you wish). Add the calvados for an even more delicious mug of comfort. Serve hot.
