Hot Wassail

4 cored apples
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. ginger
3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. allspice
750 ml sherry
750 ml marsala
750 ml cider
8 oz. rum

Bake apples; boil everything else in a big pot and then add baked apples.

Distinctly festive.