Both mulled wine and mulled apple cider are absolutely divine on a cold winter night. They chase away the cold in the tastiest way. The microwave oven makes preparing these traditional winter drinks quick and easy. Here are my recipes for each.

Ingredients for hot cider

32 ounces of pure apple cider or apple juice

12 whole cloves

2 cassia cinnamon sticks

1 three-inch piece of fresh ginger, about the thickness of your thumb

6 whole allspice berries

2 tablespoons whole mace (substitute 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg if you can’t find the mace)

1/2 cup good quality bourbon (omit the bourbon if you want a kid-friendly spiced apple cider)

Addresses

Slice the ginger, with the skin still on. Gently crush the allspice berries, just enough to break the outer shell. You can do this with a mortar and pestle or with the bottom of a heavy skillet.

For the apple cider in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add sliced ​​ginger, crushed allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and mace. Microwave the mixture on 50% power until hot, but not boiling. This should take 2-3 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave oven. Stir well to distribute the flavors. You can add the bourbon, then strain and serve the apple cider at this point, but there is a way to extract more flavor if you have a little time on your hands. You could let the cider sit for 30 minutes. Then reheat before adding the bourbon and straining.

Ingredients for mulled wine

1750 ml bottle of dry red wine (I like to use Merlot or Shiraz)

1 orange

1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, about the thickness of your thumb

12 whole cloves

2 cassia cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons whole mace (or substitute 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg if you don’t have mace)

1/4 cup honey (I think orange blossom honey is best in this recipe, but any honey will do)

Addresses

Cut the orange and ginger, leaving the skin on both. Those skins have a lot of essential oils and flavors that you’ll want to take advantage of.

Put all the ingredients in a microwave-safe container. Red wine can stain plastic, especially once heated. Keep this in mind when choosing your container.

Microwave on 50% power until hot, but not boiling. This should take 2-3 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is. Stir to combine all the flavors. Like cider, you can strain and serve right away, or you can let the wine and spices sit for 30 minutes before reheating and straining.

Any leftover mulled wine or cider should be refrigerated.

The best microwave for making mulled cider or mulled wine

Ideally, you want a microwave oven with inverter technology, since these are the only ones capable of reaching 50% real power. Most microwave ovens set to 50% power simply toggle between 100% and 0% power. Models with inverter technology actually reduce the power output to the set level. This provides much more even cooking and fewer hot spots. You can use a regular microwave for these recipes, but be very careful with heated drinks as they will be more likely to overheat. Visit Microwave Oven Reviews to find the best microwave for making mulled cider or mulled wine and much more. You’ll also find more great free microwave recipes to help you get the most out of your microwave.