Caramel Apple Cider, hot

(You'd think that I'm on a sweet binge. I'm not, really! I just like these recipes for sweet things because they are fast and easy. Really!)

I like coffee, decaf please, but lately have been enjoying hot apple cider flavored with cinnamon and caramel so that it tastes just like a candy apple! Here's a link for a recipe similar to the caramel apple cider served at that big and popular coffee shop chain or you can read it below.

Caramel apple cider

If you prefer something a little more like a candied treat, why not try caramel apple cider? A recipe has been floating around the Internet for years, since its initial appearance on Usenet's rec.food.recipes newsgroup. It has been reproduced on many, many blogs and recipe sites.

This recipe is meant to imitate the caramel apple drink concoction sold by popular coffee chains like Starbucks and Caribou. If you visit one of their shops, you will notice that neither calls the drink "Caramel Apple Cider": it contains no cider, just apple juice, and both eventually complied when they were asked to stop representing it as a cider drink. Regardless, it's yummy! The recipe calls for apple juice, but you can still make it with cider.

• Treetop premium apple juice
• Cinnamon syrup: a couple of squirts (I can't find an official measurement for a squirt, so I would try adding this a tablespoon at a time, to taste)
• Whipped cream
• Pyrex measuring cup or microwave-safe vessel
• Caramel sauce (or the syrup meant as a garnish) drizzled on top

Heat the apple juice in the measuring cup for about two minutes or until it's the temperature that you like. Blend cinnamon syrup with apple juice and pour into mug. Top with whipped cream and caramel syrup. Enjoy!

Starbucks now uses their Cinnamon Dolce syrup, which can be purchased in the store. The caramel syrup drizzle can be done with any plain caramel syrup (i.e., not "Magic Shell") made for ice cream: some come in bottles that are perfect for drizzling. In a coffee shop, the apple juice would be steam-heated; if you have an espresso machine at home with an attached steamer/frother for milk, you should be able to use that to heat your cider, if you choose.

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