Mulled Cider à la Pumpkin Pie | America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 cinnamon sticks , broken into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 quarts apple cider
• 1 vanilla bean , split in half and seeds scraped out
• 1 - 3 tablespoons light brown sugar or dark brown sugar (to taste)