This warm beverage smells as good as it tastes

It’s apple cider season – which coincides with mandarin season. Put the two together and you get a mulled cider that smells as good as it tastes. While it’s warming, this fragrant mixture fills the kitchen with wonderful fall scents; it’s better than potpourri.

Made from fresh pressed apples, apple cider tends to be a seasonal drink. Cider is minimally processed and without added sugar; that’s why cider tends to be tarter than apple juice. (Unless it’s fermented “hard” cider, there’s no alcohol.)

Mandarins add natural sweetness to cider as well as citrus zing. Lemon slices give this mulled cider a little more zest, too.

Cinnamon and cloves are a must for mulled cider. Using whole spices instead of ground keeps the cider from becoming grainy. Green cardamom pods give it more subtle sweetness. (Don’t use black cardamom; its flavor is too intense.) Nutmeg is another favorite addition as much for its scent as flavor.

Mandarin mulled cider

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 quart (4 cups) apple cider

2 mandarins, thinly sliced and seeded

½ lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

2 green cardamom seed pods (optional)

½ whole nutmeg, broken into pieces (optional)

Instructions:

In a large non-reactive saucepan, combine all ingredients. Over low heat, gently warm the cider, citrus slices and spices together. Bring it to a very low simmer, but do not boil. Heat for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm, straining out spice pieces. Garnish with a slice of mandarin and a cinnamon stick.