Makes 10 servings
2 quarts bottled apple cider or juice (not filtered)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 square (8 inches) double-thickness cheesecloth
8 allspice berries
4 cinnamon sticks, broken into halves 12 whole cloves
1 large orange
Additional cinnamon sticks (optional)
Combine apple cider and brown sugar in slow cooker. Rinse cheesecloth; squeeze out water. Wrap allspice berries and cinnamon stick halves in cheesecloth; tie securely with cotton string or strip of cheesecloth. Stick cloves randomly into orange; cut orange into quarters, place spice bag and orange quarters in cider mixture, Cover; cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Once cooked, slow cooker may be turned to low to keep cider warm up to 3 additional hours, Remove and discard spice bag and orange before serving. Ladle cider into mugs, garnish with additional cinnamon sticks, if desired.
Tip: To make inserting cloves into the orange a little easier, first pierce the orange skin with the point of wooden skewer, Remove the skewer and insert a clove.
