Spiced (and spiked) Apple Cider

My birthday is in mid-November, and with a chill in the New York air, I thought it would be lovely to have some apple cider at my birthday celebration (to go with my apple cider cupcakes!). We had a little bourbon left over from a cranberry sauce experiment, so this seemed like the perfect use for it! So with my boyfriend's help, we threw this together for our guests, and it was a hit! 

What You'll Need:
1/2 gallon apple cider (we used some local New York cider--really yummy!) 
2 1/2 cups bourbon 
1 tsp whole cloves 
3 cinnamon sticks 
1/8 tsp allspice 

What You'll Need to Do:
Just heat it all up over medium heat, being sure to stir frequently. Once it reaches a temperature you're happy with, turn the heat down all the way and keep it covered until ready to serve! 

We actually doubled this recipe for our party.  If you're feeling really ambitious, you can whip out some apple cider cupcakes to go with...!

These ones are from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, probably the best source for vegan cupcake recipes available (more on this in a later entry!). This recipe is particularly complex, but it makes for an especially rich cupcake. It involves boiling down some spiced cider with agar agar, apple butter, and apple cider vinegar, all kinds of apple-y goodness!