Spiced Apple Fizz
Chock full of antioxidants, apples make a great base for this festive winter bevy - our cool, cocktail-worthy take on hot apple cider (with less than a gram of fat).
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Ingredients
- 11 medium Royal Gala apples (or other sweet apples), divided
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 16 cardamom pods, cracked in half with your hands or gently with a meat mallet
- 1 medium navel orange, unpeeled and sliced
- 2 slices ginger (1/4-inch thick each)
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, divided
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/3 cups sparkling water
Preparation
- Juice 10 apples in a juicer according to manufacturer’s directions. This should yield about 5 cups juice (or use 5 cups 100% pressed apple juice or all-natural cider). Pour juice into a medium saucepan and add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, orange, ginger and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Bring apple juice mixture to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and let cool at room temperature. Transfer mixture to a sealable container, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or ideally overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
- When ready to serve, core remaining apple and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Immerse apple slices immediately in a bowl of water with lemon juice to keep them from oxidizing (browning).
- Using a cheesecloth-lined or fine-mesh strainer, strain spices and sediment from apple juice, discarding solids. Fill a martini glass with ice and pour 1/2 cup spiced apple juice into glass. Add 3 to 4 apple slices and top with about 3 tbsp sparkling water. Garnish each glass of apple fizz with a pinch of nutmeg; serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/2 cider and 3 T sparkling water
- Calories 95
- Carbohydrate Content 24 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 0.25 g
- Fiber Content 0.5 g
- Protein Content 0.25 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0 g
- Sodium Content 9 mg
- Sugar Content 20 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g