hot toddy

Last night was the first in a small batch of holiday parties that we'll be attending throughout the Christmas season. Cornelius and I dolled ourselves up, put on the sparkle and made up a batch of hot buttered rum for friends stopping by, before heading out on our bikes into the cold. I had never made hot buttered rum before but it was always something that I couldn't wait to try when I was younger. It was a very delicious drink, so I'm not sure what took me so long! It's true that adding butter to a beverage seems a bit strange but at the same time I was curiously attracted to that kind of naughtyness. And naughty it is! It's a rich, hot, sweet drink with complex flavours and a definite kick thanks to the rum. It was delicious and it warmed our insides completely. And it made the chilly bike ride to the ball a little less frigid. And yes, in case you were wondering, a girl can definitely ride a bike in heels!

hot buttered rum
1/4 c butter, softened
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 T brown sugar

4 c water
2 c apple cider
1 large cinnamon stick, broken in 3
4 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
6 cloves
1 T brown sugar

1 t lemon juice per mug
1 1/2 oz amber rum per mug

1. Prepare the butter. Add spices and sugar to butter and mix until well combined. Put in fridge to firm up.

2. In a medium sized pot, add water, cider, spices and sugar and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. In 4 mugs, add in 1 teaspoon for lemon juice and one and a half ounces of rum to each mug. Add in 1 rounded teaspoon of the cold spiced butter and then ladle the hot spiced cider to fill each mug. Cheers!