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 VAMPIRE PUNCH
Can't find a blood bank for
some real Vampire Punch? Then try my recipe for something equally as tasty with a nice autumn
spice flavor! It's great for a party or even Thanksgiving dinner.
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INGREDIENTS
For
Punch
1 chilled 25.4-ounce bottle
sparkling cider (about 3 1/4 cups)
1 chilled 1-quart bottle cranberry juice cocktail
1 chilled 1-liter bottle club soda or seltzer water
1 cup dark rum if desired |
For Spice Syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar |
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DIRECTIONS
Make spice syrup:
In a small saucepan bring syrup ingredients to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved,
and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Let syrup cool. Syrup can be made 1 week ahead and
chilled, kept in a covered container or bottle.
In a punch bowl combine Punch ingredients and strain syrup through a fine sieve
or cheese cloth into
punch. Stir punch and add lots of ice. Makes about 13 cups. |
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TIP
Dress the punch bowl up with
some decorative ice shapes. You can use food grade plastic gloves to freeze ice for
floating hands. Gloves are available at restaurant supply stores, are made of clear
plastic and have no talc on them like latex gloves do. Fill with water or colored water, juice, etc. and
freeze. When hard, remove glove and float in your punch bowl! You can also look at
specialty stores for ball shaped ice cube trays. Fill with cranberry
juice and
they become floating blood clots. |
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