THE PERFECT PUNCH

Spring is in the air, and with it brings celebrations, one that is on my list is a graduation party! My son is graduating from college...Cum Laude! I am so proud of him and his accomplishments! Here are a few ideas I am considering, of course they will be alcohol free so I will adapt as needed!

Inspired by a Perfect Manhattan Cocktail!

PERFECT PUNCH
1 bottle Holland House Manhattan Mix
1 cup Holland House Martini Mix
1 qt bourban
2 bottle (28oz each) gingerale chilled
1 jar (8oz) maraschino cherries, drained
3 lemons, thinly sliced
pour Manhattan and Martini Mixes, bourbon * and ginger ale over ice in punch bowl Stir lightly. Garnish with fruit. * may substitute lemonade for bourbon*
YIELDS: 30 servings

BLOODY MARY DIP
a tomato-flavored dip that's delicious with crackers, potatoe chips or raw vegetables.
2 envelopes Holland House Bloody Mary Mix
1 pkg (3oz) cream cheese softened
1/2 pint sour cream
1 tbs chopped chives or 1/8 tsp basil or dill
Combine Bloody Mary Mix with cream cheese and sour cream. Add herbs if desired.
Yields: 1 cup


SANGRIA PUNCH
a zesty wine punch with the flavor of a Spanish favorite
4 envelopes Holland House Instand Screwdriver Mix
1 cup water
1 cup Holland House Apricot Sour Mix
1/2 gallon dry red wine (Burgandy or Merlot)*
1 can (16 oz) sliced peaches
peel of large orange, cut in spiral
1 Bottle (28 oz) lemon soda, chilled
dissolve Screwdriver Mix in water in a punch bowl. Stir in Apricot sour Mix, wine and peaches with syrup; add orange peel. Chill. Add soda at serving time; stir lightly.* to make a non alcohol version I would substitute the wine with 1/2 cranberry or grape juice and 1/2 tea.
YIELDS: 30 servings.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Well I found a way to squeeze in my New Years Eve punch recipes that I didn't get to post before December 31st, so now we will celebrate the YEAR OF THE SNAKE with these firecracker punch recipes!

FIRECRACKER PUNCH
28 oz bottle Canada Dry Ginger Ale
28 oz bottle Canada Dry Club Soda
28 oz bottle Canada Dry Grapefruit
28 oz bottle Canada Dry Lemon Spot
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz bottle maraschino cherries
citrus fruit slices
optional: add your favorite liquor, rum, whiskey or vodka
Pour ice cold Ginger Ale, club soda, grapefruit and Hi Spot over ice in large punch bowl. Add sugar, cherries, and fruit slices. Liquor if desired. Stir gently till sugar dissolves.
YIELDS: 30 punch servings


CHINESE NEW YEARS EVE PUNCH
3 medium apples
4 tbs brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each ginger and nutmeg
6 cups orange juice
2 quarts cranberry juice
2 bottle or cans (12 oz each) beer or ale
3 tbs raisins
4 thick slices oranges
whole cloves
core apples, slice into thin wedges, sprinkle with brown sigar. Place in baking pan, cover bottom of pan with 1/4 inch water. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. or until tender. Combine sugar and spices in 6 quart kettle. Add all but last 2 ingredients. Heat on low for 15 minutes (do not boil). To serve pour mixture into heat proof punch bow add apple wedges. If desired garnish with 4 oragne slices decorated with whole cloves foraming the numerals of the NEW YEAR!
YIELDS: 3 1/2 qts

SPARKLING HOLIDAY PUNCH
46 oz can grapefruit juice
46 oz can orange juice
1 liter 7-up
1 pint lime sherbet
chill fruit juices and 7-up in advance. At serving time. combine pineapple and oarge juices in punch bowl and slowly pour in 7-up. Add scoops of sherbet and serve immediately.
YIELDS: 40 servings

KUMQUAT CUBES

Drain 1 (10oz) jar of preserved Kumquats (save syrup for following punch recipe) Cut Kumquats in halves. Fill ice cube tray half full with water, freeze. Place 1/2 Kumquat in each section. Fill to top with ice water; freeze!

KUMQUAT vs ORANGE

NIGHT WATCH PUNCH
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp powdered ginger
1 cup boiling water
juice of six lemons, strained
Kumquat syrup
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
1 qt apple cider, chilled
1 bottle rose' wine , chilled
Kumquat ice cubes
1 large bottle clube soda, chilled
Combine sugar and ginger; add boiling water; bring to boil; stir until sugar disolves. Cool. Add strained lemon juice and syrup. In punch bowl combine sugar-lemon mixture, cranberry juice, cider and wine. Just before serving add kumquat ice cubes and club soda.
YIELDS: 35-40 servings

GIVE A PUNCH PARTY!

I had a series of recipes set aside to post this Holiday season, but alas life took a turn off the traditional path. So I decided to post them "post" Christmas and New Years, what the heck you can use them next year!


Simple decorations such as strings of popcorn and cranberries, add a festive note to punch bowl parties!
This punch can be served with an appetizer tray or with cookies and petit fours.

CRANBERRY HOLIDAY PUNCH

2 cups water
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
3 cups cranberry juice
2 1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
6 (7) oz bottle 7-UP

simmer water, sugar and cinnamon 10 minutes, set  aside for several hours or overnight to develop the spice flavor. Remove cinnamon from mixture and cmbine with chilled fruit juices in  a large punch bowl. Slowly pour in 7-UP. Garnish with orange and lemon slices.
YIELDS: 30 servings

NEW YEARS EVE BUFFET:

Crabmeat Salad in Red Caviar Ring

Thin Sliced Turkey Sandwiches. 

Fruit Cake

and
NEW YEARS EVE PUNCH
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
3 can crushed pineapple
1 16 ounce bag frozen strawberries thawed
1 pint strong green tea
1 cup lemon juice
6 (7 oz) bottle of 7-UP
ice cubes
Simmer sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool. Chill remaining ingredients. At serving time, combine sugar syrup with crushed pineapple and liquid from can. Mix in strawberries, tea and lemon juice. Slowly pour in chilled 7-UP. Add ice cubes and garnish bowl with curls of orange rind. If desired.
YIELDS: 30 servings

PARTY ON DUDE

SQUEEZE DROP AND FIZZ

1 medium size orange or lemon, cut in half and then quarters
8 sugar cubes
1 1/2-2 bottles of cold brut style sparkling wine, or
4-5  10oz bottle of cold sparkling mineral water
put fruit pieces in small dish. For each serving, put 1 sugar cube into a champagne flute or wine glass. Squeeze juice from 1 citrus quarter over sugar cube then drop fruit into the glass and fill with sprakling wine or mineral water. Take care not to overflow.
YIELDS: 8 servings


MULLED APPLE GINGER SPARKLER
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup preserved ginger in syrup, chopped (include syrup)
8 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 - 2 bottle cold brut stle dry sparkling wine or 4-5 (10 oz) bottle of cold sparkling mineral water.
IN  a 2 quart size pan mix apple juice ginger with syrup and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil uncovered stirring occassionally, until juice is reduced to 1 cup about 30 minutes. watch closely and stir to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Cool, cover and chill until cold at least 1 hour or until the next day Pour into a small bowl. keep cold.
for each serving, spoon about 2 tbs apple ginger syrup and 1 cinnamon stick into a chmpagne flute. Top off with cold sparkling wine or mineral water.
YIELDS: 8 servings

THE PERFECT NEW YEARS EVE PUNCH

This is a punch that I made many years ago and found it to be not only delicious, but a favorite for a variety of tastes. I lost the recipe and have searched for it for years, found it stuck to another recipe in the collection!
Enjoy!

GRAND MARNIER NEW YEARS EVE PUNCH!
1-1/4 CUP OF Grand Marnier
1 cup Hawaiian punch or cranberry juice
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 qt gingerale
1 magnum Brut champagne
1 ice block or ring or ice
mix Grand Marnier, Hawaiian punch and orange juice in pitcher just before guests arrive pour over ice in punch bowl, slowly add gingerale and top off with champagne, may refresh as bowl begins to empty. This one creeps up one you so plan to have sleeping bags for your guests also or a taxi!