SWEETHEARTS...PUNCH

February is a wonderful month to entertain. There are so many party themes to choose from! here are the next 10 of the second 50

SWEETHEART PUNCH

2- 6 ounce bottle of maraschino cherries with syrup
1 cup strong tea
2- 46 ounce cans of pineapple juice
1-6 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
2 quarts water
ice block
red food coloring

cut up cherries,chill all ingredients. at serving time, pour over ice in punch bowl. Stir to mix. Add red food coloring to tint as pink as desire.
Yield: 50 punch cup servings


HOT BUTTERED CRANBERRY CUP
4-5 coriander seeds slightly crushed
1or 2 inch strip of orange zest
1 tsp honey
1 tsp butter
cranberry juice

boil cranberry juice, meanwhile place seeds,zest, honey and butter in serving cup, fill cup with boiling cranberry juice, cool just enough to sip  and serve.
YIELDS : 1 SERVING

iambaker

HOT SPICED RUBY PUNCH


1 quart cranberry juice cocktail
1 tsp allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1 dozen whole cloves
1 medium orange thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced
2 tbs lemon juice
about 20 minutes before serving, in medium saucepan combine cranberry juice, allspice and cinnamon, heat to boiling over low heat. Meanwhile stud orange and lemon slices with cloves and place in pitcher or teapot. Add lemon juice to cranberry mixture, strain into pitcher, garnish with fruit slices.
Yields: 8 servings

a hot milk punch need not be merely a Victorian cure for insomnia.Any of these hot punches are fine as a late night snack, an after ski drink or a skate toddy, instead of coffee or tea

HONEY RUM PUNCH
1 lemon
1 orange
1 quart milk
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup rum
use a vegetable peeler to cut around the outside of the orange, making a thin strip about 12 inches long. repeat with lemon making 6 inch strip.
combine in large saucepan milk, honey, orange and lemon peel. Heat over medium heat until a few bubbles form. remove peel add 1/2 cup dark or light rum and serve.
YIELDS: 4-6 servings




MAPLE SPICE PUNCH
1 quart milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbs butter
2 sticks cinnamon
1/2 ground cardamom
Mix all ingredients together in large saucepan, stir over medium heat until bubbles form at edges and serve.
YIELDS:4-6 servings

HOT BUTTERSCOTCH PUNCH
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
1 quart milk
combine all ingredients in large saucepan, heat until a few bubbles form at edges and serve.
YIELDS; 4-6 servings

HOT BUTTERED MILK PUNCH
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp butter
1 cinammon stick
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp rum flavoring
grated nutmeg
1/2 cup scalded milk
spoon, sugar, butter and vanilla  into cup fill with scalded mlk to the top, top with grated nutmeg and serve with cinnamon stick.
YIELD:1

GUSTO BOWL
1/2 cup sugar
8 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
6 -12 oz cans of Schlitz
2 cups water
in large saucepan simmer sugar, spices and water for 5 minutes, let mixture stand several hours or overnight to develop spice flavors. Just before serving time, add Schlitz and heat until mixture reaches the boiling point. Serve in a warmed punch bowl. Garnish with tiny cooked red apples or spice crab apples.
YIELDS: 20 servings

TEA AND CHAMPAGNE PUNCH
2 cups sugar
4 tsp cognac
juice of 2 lemons
1 quart champagne
2 tsp light rum
4 cups hot tea
1 quart club soda
ice block
boil sugar in one cup of water for ten minutes.Cool add champagne, cognac and rum, lemon juice and hot tea.
Add more sugar if desired. Put ice block in punch bowl and add mixture and club soda just before serving

WHAT CHEER PUNCH
2 unpeeled cucumbers
8 tsp sugar
the grated peel of 4 lemons
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/5 cognac
2 cups Cointreau
4 bottles Champagne
Slice washed cucumbers into punch bowl, add lemon rind, orange juice, lemon juice and cognac . Let stand for one hour. When ready to serve add large block of ice, Cointreau and Cognac.
YIELDS 40