Mulled Apple Punch

Straight from Trentino - Alto Adige, this mulled apple punch (also called brulé di mela or Apfelgluehmix) is the perfect festive drink to enjoy over the holiday period (and throughout winter)!

For a few years when I was growing up, my family and I would spend a few days every winter in the region of Trentino- Alto Adige - specifically in a town called Ortisei, which offered a gorgeous view of the Dolomites and is located in the predominantly German-speaking area of the region. There, almost every evening, you'd find little stands in the roads selling Apfelgluehmix, a hot punch starring apple juice, orange and plenty of spices (and for adults, a dash of brandy too, if they wish). It's the best thing ever when you have been out in the cold all day, and because of the cloves, cinnamon and star anise, it feels super festive too.

I am very fond of Tyrolese food and struggled to find which one I wanted to do first for this series, but then, thinking about it, I remember that as much as I love kanederli and strudel, some of my earliest and fondest memories of my time in the region were of my mum and I walking down quaint cobbled streets and queuing up to get a mug of hot mulled apple punch, so it felt like the obvious place to start. And with the festive season approaching fast, I thought this would be a great recipe to make when hosting family and friends: I mean, who doesn't love a cup of holiday cheer?

Top tips for the best mulled apple punch:

• Use whole spices: cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and star anise will really infuse the punch with their warm, fragrant flavour - and they'll make the punch look very aesthetically pleasing too.

• Taste for sugar: because apple juice can be very sweet already, I always prefer adding only a little honey to start with, then taste and decide whether it needs any more.

• Keep it on low: although the temptation is to heat it up quick to have it as soon as possible, that will quickly make the punch reduce. As it's often the case, slow and steady wins the race.

Ingredients:

1l 100% apple juice

1 cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

1 star anise

1 large orange

1 tbsp honey

Method:

1. To a large pot, add the apple juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, honey and the orange peel. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and let it slowly warm up. You never want to bring it to a boil, so do check on it every few mins and uncover it if needed.

2. Simmer for a minimum of 15 mins, then taste and add more honey if needed.

3. Optionally, you can decide to add the juice from half the orange and / or 2 shots of brandy.