Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (121 page)

Lancaster, PA

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3- to 4-qt.

½ gallon fresh apple cider

2-4 Tbsp. brown sugar, depending on the sweetness of the cider

¼ cup caramel ice cream topping

1. Combine cider, sugar, and caramel topping in slow cooker.

2. Cook on High 2-3 hours, stirring frequently.

Serving suggestion: Pour into mugs and top with frozen
whipped topping
, thawed.

Note:

This is a good fall drink for young and old, served with popcorn.

Spiced Cider

Mary Puterbaugh

Elwood, IN

Makes 12 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3-qt.

12 whole cloves

½ gallon apple cider

⅔ cup red hot candies

¼ cup dry orange drink mix

1 qt. water

1. Place cloves in cheesecloth bag or tea ball.

2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve hot from cooker during fall, or on Halloween.

Hot Wassail Drink

Dale Peterson

Rapid City, SC

Makes 24-27 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1-2 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 2 5- or 6-qt.

12-oz. can frozen orange juice

12-oz. can frozen lemonade

2 qts. apple juice

2 cups sugar,
or
less

3 Tbsp. whole cloves

2 tbsp. ground ginger

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

10 cups hot water

6 cups strong tea

1. Mix juices, sugar, and spices in slow cooker.

2. Add hot water and tea.

3. Heat on High until hot (1-2 hours).

Serving suggestion: Set slow cooker to Low while serving.

Apricot-Pineapple Wassail

Dolores S. Kratz

Souderton, PA

Makes 8 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

16-oz. can apricot halves, undrained

4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

2 cups apple cider

1 cup orange juice

18 whole cloves

6 3½-inch cinnamon sticks, broken

1. In blender or food processor, blend apricots and liquid until smooth.

2. Place cloves and cinnamon sticks in cheesecloth bag.

3. Put all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve hot.

Hot Cider

Ilene Bontrager,
Arlington, KS

Makes 18-20 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4½-qt.

1 gallon cider

1 qt. cranberry juice

5-6 cinnamon sticks

2 tsp. whole cloves

½ tsp. ginger

1. Combine cider and cranberry juice in slow cooker.

2. Place cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth bag and add to slow cooker. Stir in ginger.

3. Heat on High 5-6 hours.

Serving suggestion: Float
orange slices
on top before serving.

Wassail

John D. Allen,
Rye, CO

Susan Yoder Graber,
Eureka, IL

Jan Pembleton,
Arlington, TX

Makes 12 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-9 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

2 qts. cider

1 pint cranberry juice

⅓-⅔ cup sugar

1 tsp. aromatic bitters

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tsp. whole allspice

1 small orange, studded with whole cloves

1 cup rum,
optional

1. Put all ingredients into cooker. Cover and cook on High 1 hour, then on Low 4-8 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve warm from cooker.

Note:

If the wassail turns out to be too sweet for you, add more cranberry juice until you find the flavor balance to be more pleasing.

Holiday Spice Punch

Maryland Massey

Millington, MD

Makes 10 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

2 qts. apple cider

2 cups cranberry juice

2 Tbsp. mixed whole spices—allspice, coriander, cloves, and ginger

1. Pour cider and juice into slow cooker. Place mixed spices in muslin bag or tea ball. Add to juice.

2. Cover and simmer on Low 2 hours.

Serving suggestion: Float broken
cinnamon sticks
and
lemon
or
orange slices
, studded with
whole cloves
, in individual mugs as you serve.

Hot Cranberry-Apple Punch

Barbara Sparks,
Glen Burnie, MD

Shirley Thieszen,
Larkin, KS

Makes 10-11 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

4½ cups cranberry juice

6 cups apple juice

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

3 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. whole cloves

1. Pour juices into slow cooker. Mix in brown sugar and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

2. Tie cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth and drop into liquid.

3. Cover. Simmer on High 2 hours. Remove spice bag. Keep warm on Low.