Cooks Note Warming A Punch Bowl Recipes

TOO HOT TO HOOT PUNCH

Steps:

• Several hours ahead, prepare strawberry syrup and the elderberry tea. For the syrup, cut the green tops off the strawberries and discard. Dice the berries until you have 1 cup. Reserve extras for garnish. In a saucepan, add the berries along with 1 cup water and the sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and continue simmering until the sugar dissolves. Allow syrup to cool.
• Prepare the tea. Pour 12 ounces of hot water over the tea bags or the loose tea. Allow to steep until cool. Discard bags or strain loose tea.
• Juice enough limes to produce 9 ounces of juice.
• In a punch bowl stir together the lime juice, bourbon, bitters, 6 ounces cold water, the strawberry syrup and the tea. (If you have extra tea, juice and syrup, combine without bourbon for a pleasant soft drink for children.) Gently slide the ice, or an ice mold, into the bowl. Garnish with sliced strawberries. Serve in ceramic punch cups or glasses.

SNOWMAN PUNCH

Steps:

• Chill a baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into the roundest balls you can make with an ice cream scoop and place on the chilled baking sheet. Scoop one ball of vanilla into a ball twice the size of the others. Scoop the orange sherbet into a ball half the size of the medium vanilla balls, leaving a bit of a ruffle around the bottom (this will become the snowman's hat). Reserve the remaining sherbet for another use. Freeze the balls until solid, about 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Chill a large punch bowl in the freezer until it is very cold, about 30 minutes.
• Reserve 1 medium vanilla ice cream ball and pile the rest of the medium balls in the middle of the punch bowl.
• To make the snowman, center the large vanilla ball on top of the snowball pile. Insert 5 chocolate chips in a line down one side of the large ball for buttons (press the pointy tops of the chips into the ball). Top the large ball with the reserved medium ball for the head and press in the 2 remaining chocolate chips for eyes. Add a jelly bean half for a nose. Wrap the candy belt around the neck for a scarf. Top with the orange sherbet ball for a hat. Add the mini marshmallow at the top for a pom-pom. You can assemble the snowman ahead of time and hold the punch bowl in the freezer up to 2 hours if you aren't immediately able to serve.
• Add the liquids in this order: Gin, orange liqueur, sparkling wine and seltzer. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar for snow. Serve the punch in coupe cocktail glasses (see Cook's Note), scooping an ice cream ball and some punch into each.

HOT RUM PUNCH

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of 2 lemons and the tangerine in strips. Drop into a large heatproof bowl (or use a fireproof bowl if you plan to set the punch on fire) and combine with sugar. Muddle together with a muddler, pestle or the back of a wooden spoon. Let mixture sit for at least 3 hours to infuse (or infuse overnight).
• Halve the tangerine and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. Halve lemons and squeeze lemon juice into the measuring cup to make 3/4 cup juice in total. (Save any unsqueezed lemon halves for another purpose.)
• When ready to serve, bring 1 quart water to a boil. Pour rum and cognac into the bowl with the sugar and peels. If you want to flame the punch, do so now; see note below.
• Add reserved citrus juice and boiling water and stir well. Grate nutmeg over top of punch and ladle into glasses.

WARM CHRISTMAS PUNCH

Steps:

• In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine juices, Red Hots and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours or until heated through and candies are dissolved., Discard cinnamon stick before serving. Serve with sugared cranberries and additional cinnamon sticks if desired.

TRADITIONAL COLD-WEATHER PUNCH

Steps:

• Macerate the lemon rinds and the sugar in a small earthenware bowl. Add the lemon juice and ginger. Mix well and place in a larger earthenware bowl. Then add, in order, the rum, brandy, Sherry and boiling water. Mix well, warm for 20 minutes, and serve it topped with nutmeg.

WARM AND SPICY AUTUMN PUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stud the whole oranges with cloves, and bake for 30 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, combine the apple juice and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the nutmeg, honey, lemon juice, and pineapple juice.
• Serve hot in a punch bowl with the 2 clove-studded baked oranges floating on top.

COOK'S NOTE: WARMING A PUNCH BOWL

Steps:

• Before filling a punch bowl with a hot beverage, "temper" the bowl by filling it with hot tap water. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. Drain when you are ready to transfer the hot punch to the warm bowl.Tempering serves two purposes: it minimizes the risk of stress cracks from a hot liquid hitting cold glass, and it keeps the punch warm a bit longer.You can temper teapots, coffee pots and mugs in the same way.