Mulled cider for a group.

Whispered

Hey are cider posts allowed here? It's not beer, not wine and not a spirit

We are having a party 2 weeks before Christmas and I'd like to serve mulled cider at it. I know a slow cooker to keep it at temperature would work best but I need a good recipe that doesn't break the bank. Because it'll be served to a group I'd rather it not be too heavily spiced.
Tonight I tried to make it for the first time. I used a 2l bottle of tesco cider, cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 1 vanilla pod, grated nutmeg and 3 satsuma juiced. It was fine, will definitely be sticking with the vanilla and sweeter flavours and leaving the heavy cloves but it was missing something.
To make enough for the party id need loads of vanilla pods which would work out quite expensive, also the cider was fizzy and so a sort of bubbly film formed on top with the grated nutmeg.
So my questions: would it work to use some vanilla pods and some vanilla extract?
Would you recommend sweetening with sugar or honey?
Can anybody recommend a reasonably priced non fizzy cider? (Or can I just leave it to go flat before use)
Does a good mulled cider need a dash of something stronger (I'm thinking vanilla rum maybe?)
Could I maybe sweeten with apple juice and use a spirit to give it a kick?
And finally does anybody have a recipe they love?
Thanks a million!

nosietoes

We use fizzy cider but leave it go a little flat... Maybe an hour. I'm a fan of brown sugar to sweeten with only a small amount of vanilla, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, star anise and orange peel as well as a little juice. We put a little brandy in the bottom of the glass before topping up with hot cider.

Losty Dublin

There's a brand of mulled cider called Molloy's and can be bought handily enough. It's priced at €4-€5 for 750ML. If nothing but it will save you a lot of work on the day and experimenting beforehand.

Whispered

Losty Dublin wrote: »

There's a brand of mulled cider called Molloy's and can be bought handily enough. It's priced at €4-€5 for 750ML. If nothing but it will save you a lot of work on the day and experimenting beforehand.

Oh is it nice? That would be very handy if it tastes well. I've never seen it, would you have an idea where I should look?

Losty Dublin

Whispered wrote: »

Oh is it nice? That would be very handy if it tastes well. I've never seen it, would you have an idea where I should look?

Seen it in a few Super Valu shops and one or two off licence shops in Dublin. I tried it at the RDS last year and found it to be very nice though that's just my opinion

Whispered

Thanks a lot. Sounds perfect. I'll check a few supervalus

aceygray

I make mulled cider with about two thirds cider, one third apple juice, and whatever spices you want. It makes it a bit sweeter and not as fizzy. Try to get a good quality "cloudy" apple juice.

rustyzip

I've made this before and it turned out lovely.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/mulled-cider-recipe.html

I wonder could you use a tea urn to keep it warm?!?!
Or a soup warmer..

newacc2015

Losty Dublin wrote: »

There's a brand of mulled cider called Molloy's and can be bought handily enough. It's priced at €4-€5 for 750ML. If nothing but it will save you a lot of work on the day and experimenting beforehand.

Thats really expensive though. You can pick up Bulmers or any other cider for around €1.20-€1.50 a can at Christmas. OP Mark and Spencer or any good supermarket will sell bags of spice for mulled wine/cider. All the spices are in a mesh bag and you put them in the wine/cider

Lidl sell pretty good Vanilla pods really cheaply.

Latatian

You could throw in a bit of chopped lemon or some sliced apple, too. Seems to perk it up a bit.

I'd use sugar, honey might be too cloying, but I have only used sugar when mulling cider before. You could have the vanilla rum as an additional option for guests?

Any cider I've used it with goes flat when heated, never had a problem with it remaining fizzy.