• 2 small eating apples
• 6 cloves
• a generous litre/1 quart cider
• 1 10-cm/4-in stick cinnamon
• 2 level teaspoons ground ginger
• 50 g/2 oz soft brown sugar
• 1.5 dl/¼ pint water
• 1 small orange

Core the apples and run a knife tip round the centre of each apple just to break the skin. Stick two cloves in the side of each apple and bake in a moderate oven (180°C., 350°F., Gas Mark 4) for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the cider gently in a saucepan – it must not be allowed to boil. Put the remaining 2 cloves, the cinnamon stick broken into 4 pieces, the ginger, sugar and water into a separate saucepan and stir over the heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the baked apples to the punch bowl and add the orange cut in slices. Strain in the spiced water and then pour in the hot cider. Serve at once.