As the weather turns colder and snow blankets the ground across the Northern Plains, I’m always surprised when someone asks if I want my coffee hot or iced. The answer is hot, of course. Most foods and beverages are better when warm this time of year — hotdishes, bread puddings, steamy bowls of soup and fragrant drinks.

Seeking a recipe for a festive beverage to warm the hands and hearts of my holiday guests, I turned to my grandmother’s copy of “The Joy of Sharing,” the cookbook compiled by the Oak Valley American Lutheran Women of Velva, North Dakota, in 1985. Mabel Olson’s recipe for a “Wassail Bowl” sounded delicious.

And it was.

This delightful cider-based drink is quick and easy. In fact, it was so easy to put together that I was able to whip up a batch on a whim while putting the

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