Hot Buttered Rum #1

12-cups water
2-cups rum
1/2-cup brown sugar, packed
1/4-cup hard margarine or butter
1/4-tsp ground cinnamon
1/4-tsp ground nutmeg
1/8-tsp ground cloves
Pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in slow cooker
Stir well
Cover and cook on low for at least 3 hours, until quite warm

Makes 13 cups

Hot Buttered Rum #2

1-cup unsalted butter, softened
1-16oz package confectioners' sugar, sifted
1-lb light brown sugar, packed
4-cups vanilla ice cream, softened

In a large bowl cream the butter and the sugars together until smooth
Add the softened ice cream and mix until a creamy consistency is obtained
Transfer this to a freezer container with a tight fitting lid
Place in the freezer for up to 1 month

To Serve:
Place a heaping 2 tablespoons of the frozen mix in a highball glass or coffee mug
Add 1-2-tbsp dark rum
Pour over the mix 6 ounces of boiling water and stir until the mixture is melted
Sprinkle top with cinnamon or nutmeg and serve

Makes 15 servings

Hot Cranberry Punch

4-cups unsweetened pineapple juice
4-cups cranberry juice
1/2-cup packed brown sugar
1-cup water
1-tsp whole cloves and 1-cinnamon stick tied in cheesecloth
1 to 2-cups vodka

Combine all ingredients except the vodka in the slow cooker
Cover and cook on low for 4-10 hours
Add vodka just before serving

Warm Your Belly Punch

2 quarts apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
12 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground nutmeg

In a slow-cooker, combine apple cider, orange juice and lemon juice
Season with cloves, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg
Bring to a simmer for 3 hours
Serve hot.

Wassail

7-cups water
1 1/2-cups orange juice
1 1/2-cups apple cider
1 1/2-cups tea
3/4-cup lemon juice
1 1/2-cup sugar
1/2-tsp allspice
1/2-tsp ginger
4 cloves
2 large cinnamon sticks
1 can each pineapple, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries

Put spices in a tea ball or herb bag
Simmer all ingredients in crock pot about 1 1/2 hrs before serving.

Tea Cider

4-orange-spice tea bags (or your favourite tea)
6-cups of boiling water
2-cups of fresh orange juice
2-cups of cranberry juice
2-tbsp honey
1-cinnamon stick – 2" long or 1 tsp powder cinnamon
3/4-cup fresh cranberries

Place tea bags in pot; cover with boiling water and let steep 5 minutes
Remove and discard tea bags
Add orange and cranberry juice, honey, cinnamon stick, and whole cranberries to pot
Bring just to a boil then simmer 15 minutes
Serve

Serves 8

Hot Spiked Cider

5 1/3-cups water
4-orange spice tea bags (or your favourite tea)
2/3-cup light brown sugar
2 2/3-cups apple cider
2-cups light rum
10-1/2 cinnamon sticks
4-tsp butter, divided into1/2-tsp butter per cup

Pour water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil
Remove from heat and toss in the orange spice tea bags
Cover and let steep 5 minutes
Remove tea bags and stir in sugar, apple cider, rum, and 2 of the cinnamon sticks
Heat just to steaming -- do not boil
Ladle hot cider into mugs and drop 1/2-tsp butter into each
Garnish with a cinnamon "swizzle" stick.

Serves: 8

Russian Coffee

1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz Hazelnut Liqueur
1/4 oz Vodka
Hot Coffee

Pour alcohol into a mug
Add coffee
Top with whipped cream
Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cocoa powder

Red Grapefruit Warmer

4-cups red grapefruit cocktail
1-cinnamon stick
6-whole cloves
¼-cup liquid honey
6-oz amber rum
1-lemon wedge

Heat grapefruit cocktail, cinnamon stick and cloves in a large saucepan until steaming and fragrant
Stir in honey and rum
Moisten the rims or four coffee mugs with the lemon wedge
Dip the moistened rims in coarse sugar
Ladle hot juice into mugs
Garnish with cinnamon stick

Makes 4 servings

Basil Tea

1 1/2-litre water (or 6-cups)
10-basil leaves
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
6-green cardamoms roughly crushed
2-cinnamon sticks
1-lemon for juice
1-tsp honey per cup

Place the first five ingredients in a pan and boil briskly for 10-15 minutes, on medium heat
Strain and discard solids
Squeeze lemon juice in
Serve hot or warm, with 1 tsp honey per cup