Yo, Ho, Ho... Hot Buttered “Almost Rum”

This drink can be made in a slow-cooker or on the stove top. It can be made with OR without the rum. The liquid smells so heavenly, “just like Christmas”, says my husband, that the rum is simply an adult afterthought. Without the rum, children can enjoy this cheery drink.

• 2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 sticks cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 whole cloves or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• About 2 cups boiling water
• 2  cups spiced rum (very important: spiced, not plain)

Put all ingredients into a slow-cooker, except for the rum. Let slow-cook on low for five hours. Stir in rum. Keep in slow-cooker, if desired, if you’d like to keep it warm.

There’s a nifty mention of using a “hot poker” to carmelize your drink in this article by Colleen Graham. I’ve never done it, but it sounds neat-o!

Update: I added a dash of vanilla to my version this season, and it was a perfect addition. I also ended up doing it on the stove top, and tripled the water in anticipation of losing some liquid to evaporation due to the stove top method. It was a good move. We didn't have spiced rum but we used Red Cherry Stag Bourbon and it was an interesting twist. I prefer the spiced rum version, and that's saying something because I don't care for hard liquor... not since "the incident".