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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 75 Minutes |
Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 3 |
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Punch is one of the easiest ways to set the Halloween moodall you need is a cauldron, perhaps, or a pointy black hat and ice block hands. Not every blend of fruit juices takes well to the with-or-without option of alcohol, but the combination of sparkling cider and cranberry juice cocktail, subtly enhanced with a spice syrup, both support an optional dose of dark rum. Ingredients:
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks |
5 whole cloves |
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger |
1/3 cup water |
1/3 cup sugar |
1 (25 1/4-ounce) bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups), chilled |
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled |
1 (1-liter) bottle club soda or seltzer, chilled |
1 cup dark rum (optional) |
ice blocks in any shape (see cooks' note, below) |
Directions:
1. Bring cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, water, and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, uncovered, 1 hour.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, then chill until cold.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients, except ice, with syrup in a punch bowl. Add ice before serving.
4. Cooks' notes: To make hand-shaped ice, fill powder-free, latex-free rubber gloves with water and tie wrist end securely, then freeze. Syrup can be made 1 week ahead and chilled with spices. Strain before using.
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