December Cider

This is a good cider/punch for a crowd during the cold winter months. The directions are for stovetop, but there's no reason you couldn't make this in the crockpot instead.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) can  frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 (12 ounce) can  frozen cranberry-apple juice cocktail, thawed
• 1 (6 ounce) can  frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 5  cinnamon sticks
• 1  teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 7  whole cloves
• 1⁄3 cup rum (optional) or 1⁄3 cup  cinnamon schnapps (optional)
• 12  cinnamon sticks (for stirrers) (optional)

Directions

1. In a 4-qt dutch oven, combine apple juice concentrate, cranberry-apple concentrate, and 9 cups of water.
2. Stir in lemonade concentrate, the 5 sticks of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Removed cloves and cinnamon before serving. Stir in rum or schnapps, if using. Serve warm with a cinnamon stick in each mug.