Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Steps

1. With a vegetable peeler, take 4 wide strips of zest from the orange, leaving the bitter white part behind. Cut the orange in half and squeeze out the juice.
2. Put the 3 cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice and cloves in a large dry pot over medium heat. Toast them, shaking the pot now and then, until you can smell them, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the cider, standing back because it will steam. Add the orange zest and juice, ginger and salt. Heat over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until steam rises and small bubbles appear at the edge.
4. Turn the heat to low, cover and let it steep for 20 to 30 minutes, until it smells warm and spicy. Keep it just below a simmer so the cider stays smooth.
5. Taste it. If it is tart, stir in the maple syrup or brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
6. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or a heatproof pitcher and throw away the spices. Ladle into mugs and add a cinnamon stick to each one.

Good to know

• For a party, toast the spices in a skillet, tie them in cheesecloth and put everything in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for about 2 hours, until hot and fragrant, then switch to warm and set out a ladle.
• Make it up to 4 days ahead. Strain, cool and refrigerate it, then rewarm it gently on the stove.
• No fresh cider? Use unfiltered apple juice and leave out the maple syrup, since juice is sweeter. Pear juice works too.
• For a dessert mug, top each serving with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.