Wassail
Updated Nov. 25, 2024
- Total Time
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 5 to 6small to medium honey crisp (or Fuji or McIntosh) apples, cored
- ½cup light brown sugar
- ½cup dark brown sugar
- 2cups Madeira
- 2bottles (22 4/10 ounces) London Pride Ale
- 4bottles (48 ounces) Strongbow English Cider
- 1cup apple cider
- 12whole cloves
- 12whole allspice berries
- 2cinnamon sticks, 2 inches long
- 2strips orange peel, 2 inches long
- 1teaspoon ground ginger
- 1teaspoon ground nutmeg
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
205 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 35 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 14 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place apples in a 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon light and dark brown sugar into center of each apple, dividing sugar evenly among them. Pour 1 cup water into bottom of dish and bake until tender, about 1 hour.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, pour Madeira, ale and English and apple ciders into a large slow cooker or heavy pot. Place cloves, allspice, cinnamon and orange peel into cheesecloth, tie shut with kitchen twine and add to slow cooker or pot along with ginger and nutmeg. Set slow cooker to medium, or place pot over low heat. Gently simmer for about 1 hour, while apples bake, or longer if desired.
- Step 3
Add liquid from the baking dish and stir to combine. Using tongs, transfer apples into slow cooker or pot to garnish. Reduce heat. Ladle hot wassail into heatproof cups to serve.
Private Notes
Comments
This is an amazing holiday recipe. However, it is quite boozy. I usually increase the amount of apple cider as well as the spices a bit. Play with the amounts until you get it how you like it.
Wassail? Wassat? It's delicious! After reading a comment about it being too sweet, I didn't use any sugar when baking the apples, but it turned out needing some added sweetener. I had a ton of orange simple syrup left over from making candied orange peels so we each added that to taste. Next year I'll try using half the brown sugar when I bake the apples...because I WILL be making this next year. P.S. Fuji apples held their shape beautifully.
A great alternative garnish solution--if you find baking whole apples a bit fussy or a bit wasteful--is to simmer the mix with dried apple rings. When ready to serve, top with the prettiest of the dried apples or with the beautiful dried citrus slices that can be bought for cocktail and cake garnishes these days.
Is there a non-alcoholic version of this?
This only makes sense if, after the punch is gone, you slice up & use those apples! I’m thinking they would make an excellent garnish for Christmas Eve pork roast or Christmas morning French toast.
Amazing recipe for the holidays. Boozy but tastes like warm apple pie in a cup. I halved the recipe to accommodate my small crock pot but didn’t pay super close attention to all the measurements and it still turned out great. Recommend serving with Gingerbread cookie mug hangers (I got mine from Trader Joe’s)—this was a big hit at my holiday cookie party!