Warming apple punch

Hot recipe against freezing cold

With this delicious apple punch, winter can't get here early enough. Days getting shorter, the weather cooler? That's the perfect time to enjoy the bloom of Christmas Roses in your garden with a hot drink in hand. Add a few biscuits and nothing can stand in the way of a cosy afternoon. By the way, our recipe is great both with and without alcohol.

Recipe for hot apple punch

1.5 litre apple juice (preferably naturally cloudy); 300 ml white wine (green grape juice for the alcohol-free version), 150 g brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar, 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 star anises (whole), 5 cloves, 100 ml amaretto (leave out for the alcohol-free version or use alcohol-free amaretto)

And here's how to make the punch: in a large saucepan, mix apple juice with sugar and vanilla sugar. Add cinnamon sticks, star anises and cloves – best packed in a spice bag or tea filter for easier removal later. Boil up briefly and leave to draw on a low heat for 45 minutes. Remove spices, add amaretto and pour into cups. Tip: You may want to serve the punch in glass cups with cinnamon sticks and slices of apple as a delicate decoration. Copper mugs like those used for cocktails like Moscow Mule are also extremely stylish. However, you want to take special care not to burn your fingers!