Alternatives to pumpkin spice

Started by SepiaAndDust, Nov 08, 2024, 05:34 PM

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SepiaAndDust

Try a hot brick, instead

2 ounces of whiskey
1 tspn of white sugar
1 tspn of real butter
hot water
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

In a large mug, mix whiskey and sugar. Fill to a drinkable level with hot water. Add butter until melted (you can pre-melt the butter), sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg.

SepiaAndDust

And don't forget the classic hot toddy:

1/2 cup whiskey
1/4 cup lemon juice
boiling water
honey to taste

In a large mug, mix whiskey and lemon juice. Fill to a reasonable level with boiling water. Add honey. Enjoy! (Don't burn yourself.)

SepiaAndDust

If you have the time and if your arteries aren't clogged, try hot buttered rum:

1/4 cup of rum
1/8 cup of brown sugar (packed)
1/8 cup of real butter
1 TBSP of honey
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves to taste
Boiling water.

Mix all solids and the honey and beat until smooth in an electric mixer. Transfer to large mug. Add rum and half the boiling water. Stir. Add butter and fill the mug with more boiling water. Stir until the butter melts and the solids dissolve.

ETA: meant to add (just to keep it from being too pumpkin-spicy) that some have reported good results using anise in place of the listed spices. If you don't like the black jellybeans, that substitution is probably not for you.

SepiaAndDust

And my reigning champion...

For emergency use only! Best on snowy, icy, or freezy nights.

2 bottles of cabernet sauvignon (hereafter referred to as "wine"). Aim for a high alcohol content.
1 orange, washed, seeded, and sliced into thinnish rounds (1/4" or a little thicker)
1 apple, washed, cored, and cut into 8 slices
optional 1 lime or lemon, washed, seeded, and sliced into rounds
2 cups non-alcoholic apple cider
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
optional dash of lime juice
1/2 cup brandy (Christian Brothers' 80-proof "VS" brand is both perfect and cheap)
splash of whiskey or rum
[If you don't want the spirits, use brandy or rum imitation flavorings]
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup white sugar
optional 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise (Use 8 if you like the black jelly beans.  Use 4 if you hate black jelly beans.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheesecloth sachet with:
6 whole cloves
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch of mace
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg (or two pinches if you like nutmeg)
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch black pepper (or a few red pepper flakes)
1 generous pinch orange zest (fresh is best, but use what you've got)
1 regular pinch of lemon zest
optional 1 pinch ginger
optional sprinkle of marjoram
optional loose-tea steeper with your favorite tea leaves (1 to 2 cups worth)
optional small pinch of cocoa powder
[If you don't have all that, use a couple pinches of apple pie spice]
[Tie the sachet well, so that it won't leak]

Set all chilled ingredients out to warm to room temperature.  Mix wine, honey, and sugars in crockpot on high.  After an hour, toss in everything else and stir.  If the crockpot's not full, add more booze (or cider, I guess, if you're a wimp).  Heat on low for another 4 or 5 hours, stirring every half-hour or so.  Remove and squeeze the sachet and the tea steeper into the mulled wine. Drink hot.

No crockpot, no problem!  Bring wine, honey, and sugars to a slight boil in a huge freakin' pot (don't let the sugars burn on bottom). Add all other ingredients, stir, and heat on low for 10 minutes (don't let it boil).  Reduce to a simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Enjoy!

Do not drive under the influence of Sepia's Mulled Wine.  Sepia's Mulled Wine is a sneaky bastard.

[If you only use 1 bottle of wine, most of the other ingredients will remain unchanged.  Reduce honey, white sugar, brandy, and apple cider, but leave the rest more-or-less alone.]

SepiaAndDust

Protip for the mulled wine: once everybody's had some and it's cooled to room temperature, you can use a funnel to pour the rest into the empty wine bottles. Pop on some reusable caps for the bottles, and you can store it for several days. Strain it well first, of course.