Hot Buttered Rum

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2. 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4. 1 cup water
5. 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
6. Four 6-inch cinnamon sticks
7. 1 cup dark rum

1. In a small bowl, blend the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and apple juice to a boil. Place a cinnamon stick in each of 4 mugs or heatproof glasses. Add 1/4 cup of the rum, 1/2 cup of the boiling liquid and a heaping half tablespoon of the vanilla butter to each mug. Stir with the cinnamon stick and serve at once.