There is a tiny shop just a few minutes from our apartment that we – just for fun – always have fantasized about owning. It has the perfect location. A sunny corner right in a central part of the town. We often said that if it would be for sale we would buy it and start a small smoothie & soup bar. Early this summer, that shop went up for sale! It would be so fun to tell you that we bought it and are opening up Green Kitchen Smoothies, Juices & Soups … but we didn’t buy it.
You know how it is with dreams, they are so great in your head, but not as great when you start doing the math. The place was really expensive + a million other different reasons. Anyway, it was a fun dream to have. The place is sold now and a cheese shop has just opened up. Meanwhile we have a dozen new ideas and dreams. Most of them will probably end up like our smoothie & soup cafe, but one day at least one will become real. You just wait.
Since the juice season is pretty short here in Sweden we had this idea to serve warm juice drinks during the winter in our cafe. This sweet and spice-infused warm apple juice mixed with freshly squeezed carrot juice would definitely have been on our menu.
Warm Spicy Apple & Carrot Drink
2 large glasses
We don’t boil the carrot juice since we prefer this drink with a fresh twist. It also looks prettier that way. You can of course heat both juices together if you prefer it steaming hot and slightly sweeter. .
2 cups apple juice, around 6 apples
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anises
2 allspice seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 carrots
1 inch (2,5 cm) fresh ginger or more to taste
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Juice the apples in a juice machine. Place the juice in saucepan together with all the spices, cover with a lid. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep, covered for 5-10 minutes, then strain in a fine sieve. Juice the carrots and ginger in the juice machine. Pour the warm apple juice in the glasses, add the freshly juiced carrot juice and stir with a spoon to combine. Sprinkle some ground cinnamon and nutmeg on top before serving.
Ps. If you are up for it you can also turn it into a winter punch, by simply adding 1 part rhum to 3 parts juice.
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