Family Fun's Caramel Apple Cider Recipe Review

Before I get into Family Fun's Caramel Apple Cider review, I have to say, I love Family Fun magazine. If your are not a parent, chances are you would never think to read Family Fun, but the popular magazine has much to offer more than Moms and Dads. Anyway, that's another review for another time; you're here because my title made your mouth water, and you want to know if this recipe is as good as it sounds…

It absolutely is. Caramel Apple Cider is one of those recipes you need to put right at the top of your recipe box, and use it over and over for family and friends, cold weather gatherings, sledding parties, or just to warm yourself with something decadent on a cold winter day.

This is the recipe. As I said, it comes from Family Fun magazine (November 2005 issue) and is available on their website at www.familyfun.com. As given, the recipe makes four servings, but you and your friends will want lots, so double, triple, quadruple the recipe.

Caramel Apple Cider
To make the cider you need:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups apple cider
1/2 cup water

For the Whipped Cream Topping (a 95% must have) you need:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions: Cider:
Combine cream and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the cider and water, stir, and raise the heat to medium-high. Heat only until the cider starts to steam (about 4 minutes), stirring almost continually.

Prepare the whipped cream.

Directions: Whipped Cream:
Chill a bowl and beaters for easier whipping. Whip the heavy cream and brown sugar together until soft peaks form.

That's it. You're done. Caramel Apple Cider only tastes like it took you hours to prepare.

Okay, you're not completely finished; you have to pour or ladle the Caramel Apple Cider into mugs and top each mug with about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream. Actually, I prefer the one tablespoon for you, three for me serving ratio.

Of course you need to know how this Caramel Apple Cider recipe tastes for this small effort. FABULOUS! It's delicious. Caramel Apple Cider is warm, fruity, and creamy all at the same time. People with sweet tooths love it. Those with less of a hankering for sweets love it. Caramel Apple Cider pleases everyone.

I made Caramel Apple Cider for the first time last year for my daughter's first birthday party. It was an absolute hit with everyone. Of course, serving thirty guests with a recipe that makes four servings required some invention, but the problem of quantity production was easily solved. I first mixed large batches in a stock pot on the stove. When the Caramel Apple Cider was finished, I transferred the batch to my crock pot and kept it on low to keep the cider warm. A dish of prepared cream (which is easily made well ahead of time) set out near the crock pot makes for an easy self serve situation.

Variations: there aren't really any. The recipe really is best just as it is. You could skip the whipped cream, but it brings so much to the flavor and texture, it would be missed by all but the biggest cream opponents. Of course there are those that cannot tolerate the cream, or for whom perhaps it is a little too sweet, and the cider really is quite good without it. I know because we finished the cream batch before the cider was gone. Some of my family did not abide by my one to three ratio. Other than that my only recommendations might be to add a cinnamon stick for garnish, maybe a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon over the cream top.

Actually, that might not be exactly accurate. I think we may have doctored the recipe a little once the little ones had had their fill. You see the year before, I threw my husband a big bash for his birthday, where I served hot buttered rum. There was all this leftover rum, and you can only make so many truffles…you know how I love my one to three ratios…