In our house, the festive season begins with a pan of mulling syrup simmering on the stove. Every since spotting the recipe in the 2013 Christmas issue of Landscape magazine, I make it to add it to wines, ciders, apple juice and sparkling water. If we go for a long walk during the Christmas period, we fill a flask with warm apple juice with a generous drop of this mulling syrup.
To make it, I put the following ingredients in a saucepan: 150 ml of apple juice, 150 ml of orange juice, 100 g of golden caster sugar, a piece of root ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks, 10 cloves, half a teaspoon of grated nutmeg and 4 crushed allspice berries. I heat it up gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then I increase the heat and boil it for about 10 minutes until the mixture has reduced by half and is syrupy.
It's ready to use straight away or keeps in the fridge until required.
Alternatively, decant this deliciously warming mulling syrup into a little glass bottle and add an attractive label to turn this festive tonic into a homemade gift that will no doubt delight its recipient.