Punch, wonderfully warming for Halloween, Bonfire Night, or Carol singing..

Hot apple pie punch Warm your hands around a mug of this hot apple drink, spiced with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg - add a splash of rum for the adults

Ingredients

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

a good pinch ground cloves

½ whole grated nutmeg

2l apple juice

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 scoops vanilla ice cream

dark rum (optional)

Method

Put the cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, apple juice and vanilla extract in a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer.

When the apple juice has warmed through, add the vanilla ice cream and whisk vigorously with a balloon whisk until melted and combined with the hot apple juice – the ice cream should make a frothy top on the juice.

Pour a splash of dark rum into the bottom of the adults’ cups and top up with the hot punch. Garnish with Apple crisps .

Apple Prosecco punch - maybe not one to keep your hands warm as its a cold punch

Ingredients

400ml cloudy apple juice

200ml vodka

juice 2 lemons

750ml Prosecco

ice

1 green apple, cored and finely sliced

1 lemon, sliced

Method

Pour the apple juice, vodka and lemon juice into a punch bowl and chill for 1-2 hrs.

When you’re ready to serve add the prosecco, ice and apple and lemon slices to garnish.

White mulled wine

Ingredients

2 bottles cheap-ish white wine, medium-dry is good

500ml bottle light cider

150ml elderflower cordial

zest 2 lemons

(pared into strips using a vegetable peeler)

2 cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla pod, split

4-5 tbsp caster sugar

Method

Put all the ingredients into a pan and heat until steaming but not boiling. Ladle into mugs or glasses to serve, while you keep the rest warm on a low heat.

Mulled pear & cranberry punch

Ingredients

1 ltr pear cider

1 lyr pear (or cloudy apple) juice

1 ltr cranberry juice

good handful fresh or dried cranberries

150ml sloe gin

2 cinnamon sticks

2 vanilla pod,scored lengthways

Method

Put all the ingredients into your biggest saucepan or casserole dish. When you’re ready to serve, heat to just below simmering point, then ladle into glasses.

Appleberry mulled wine

Ingredients

2 x 75cl bottles red wine (such as Merlot; better quality wine makes all the difference)

1 ltr good-quality cloudy apple juice

115g caster sugar

1 long cinnamon stick, snapped in half

2 star anise

3 tbsp orange Curaçao or Cointreau

a handful or so (about 100g/4oz) frozen mulled fruit or fruits of the forest or Black Forest fruits

3 small red-skinned apple, sliced into rings.

Method

Pour the wine and apple juice into a large saucepan and add the sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise. Heat gently, stirring once or twice, until the sugar has dissolved, then continue heating gently for another 15 minutes.

Just before serving, swirl in the Curaçao or Cointreau, throw in the frozen fruits and add the apple slices.

Mulled cider

Ingredients

1½ l dry cider

7 tbsp Calvados

400ml apple juice

75g dark brown sugar

zest 1 orange, pared into strips

4 whole clove

2 cinnamon stick, broken in half

1 tbsp allspice berries

Method

Pour the cider, Calvados, apple juice and sugar into a large saucepan, and gently heat to mull. Add the orange zest and spices, bring to a simmer, then turn down and keep on a low heat for 20-30 mins. Ladle into glass mugs to serve.