Hot Applejack Toddy

* 4 to 5 whole cloves
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 1 1/2 ounces applejack or calvados

Combine the cloves, cinnamon stick, and honey in a heat-proof snifter. Top with the boiling water and stir to melt the honey. Top with Applejack or calvados.

A traditional Hot Toddy is made with brandy, but I’ve also made them with dark rum. Today I thought I’d try one with applejack, making a sort of grown up hot cider. It doesn’t taste anything like cider, of course, but the applejack worked very well in this. Next time I think I’ll try sweetening it with brown sugar instead of honey. If you try this, increase the amount of sugar to maybe 1 1/2 teaspoons to get the same level of sweetness you get from honey. On the other hand, applejack is slightly sweeter than brandy so 1 teaspoon might be fine.

We made these after returning from a cold afternoon walk and paired them with some pumpkin bread that we picked up from Oakland’s own Bakesale Betty. Perfect.