It’s gone really cold here in little-north-of-London town, and this has got to be the greatest warm drink you could have: it’s sweet, it’s spicy, the kichten will smell lovely and you can have it at night because it’s caffeine-free.

Then, if you have some left, cause this is the season to give, you can share it with any child around you.

Basically, it’s a children alchool free version of mulled wine.

What I really love about this drink is the contrast between the sweetness of the agave nectar (or sugar) and that certain tangy kick of the apple juice.

You can multiply the ingredients accordingly to the number of people.

For 1 person

1 mug of good quality cloudy apple juice

1 slice of organic orange

1 slice of fresh ginger

2 teaspoons of agave nectar or a sweetener of your choice (yes, sugar will do!)

mixed spices, I used 4 cloves, some cinnamon stick, 2 black peppercorns (whole), some grated nutmeg, a slice of fresh ginger.

You can also buy ready made mixes of spices for mulled wine, they will work in this recipe, use only the quantity you need, a whole sachet usually calls for one bottle of wine (750 ml).

To measure how much juice you need, fill the cup in which you are going to drink as much as you can, then pour the juice in a pan, put all the other ingredients, stir with a spoon and bring to the boil.

Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, then take off the heat and let it rest for one minute or even less.

Strain through a sieve and serve in the cups.