Make hot apple cider

Hot cider is the fastest thing on this list. It is a pot of cider, a few whole spices and about ten minutes, and the whole apartment smells like fall by the end. Drink it out of your favourite mug, ideally somewhere with a blanket.

What you need

This makes about four mugs. Scale it up or down, since it is easy to double.

• 4 cups apple cider (or apple juice, if you cannot find cider)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 to 6 whole cloves
• 2 or 3 orange slices, or a strip of peel
• Optional: 2 or 3 allspice berries, a star anise, a slice of fresh ginger, or a spoonful of maple syrup

Make it

1. Pour the cider into a saucepan.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange slices. Add anything else from the optional list.
3. Warm it over medium-low heat until it is steaming and small bubbles appear at the edges. Do not let it come to a full boil.
4. Turn the heat to low and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, so the spices flavour the cider.
5. Taste. If you want it sweeter, stir in a little maple syrup. Cider is already sweet, so you may not need to.
6. Ladle it through a sieve into mugs, or just fish out the spices. Serve with an orange slice or a cinnamon stick in each mug.

Hot liquid burns, so let it cool for a minute before the first sip.

Cider or juice

Cider and apple juice are not quite the same thing. Cider is usually cloudy, unfiltered and tangier, and it makes a more interesting drink. Juice is clearer and sweeter, and it works fine. Either one only needs heating through gently, and the spices do the rest.

Ways to change it

• Tangier. Add a squeeze of lemon, or use a more tart cider.
• Spicier. A slice of ginger or a few black peppercorns adds warmth.
• Sweeter. A spoonful of maple syrup or brown sugar.
• For a crowd. Use a slow cooker on low for two or three hours, then keep it on warm.

Serving friends

For a group, multiply the recipe and use the biggest pot you have, or a slow cooker on low. Keep the spices in the pot but fish them out after an hour or so, since a long steep makes the cider taste harsh. Set out a small plate of orange slices and cinnamon sticks so people can dress their own mug, and keep a ladle by the pot. Warm mugs under the tap first if you want the drink to stay hot a little longer. Always carry the pot carefully, and keep it away from the edge of the counter.

If something goes wrong

• It tastes bitter. The cloves or peel sat in too long, or it boiled. Fish them out sooner and keep the heat low.
• It tastes flat. Add a squeeze of lemon or orange.
• It is cloudy. That is normal with cider, and it is fine. Ground spices make it cloudier, so use whole ones.
• It is too strong. Take the spices out and top it up with a little more cider.

A few small upgrades

Rub an orange peel around the rim of the mug before you pour, so the first sip smells of citrus. Stud an orange slice with a few cloves and float it in the pot, which looks nice and keeps the cloves in one place. Pre-warm the mugs with hot water, and serve with something simple to dunk, like a gingersnap or a plain shortbread.

Keeping it

Strain out the spices, let the cider cool, and keep it in a covered jar in the fridge. Drink it within a few days, and reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave. Do not leave a pot sitting out at room temperature all evening and keep reheating it, since it is a sweet drink and does not stay fresh for long.

Make it a fall evening

It is a ten-minute reason to sit down. Drink it with friends after a foliage hike or a walk in the leaves, or make a pot while something baked like snickerdoodles cools on the counter.