Description
This is the perfect base for your holiday punch, and now comes the fun part—customizing it! Whether you serve it warm for cozy vibes or chilled for a tropical twist, it’s sure to be a hit. Add a bottle of your favorite red wine for a festive mulled wine flavor, or take it to the islands with a splash (or bottle!) of rum. I love serving this chilled in a big punch bowl, letting guests help themselves to a glass of holiday cheer. It’s festive, flavorful, and guaranteed to keep the party going!
Serves 10-12
1 gallon Water
1 large piloncillo cone or 12 ounces brown sugar
3 large cinnamon sticks
1 pound Tejocotes (optional; see cook’s note)
1 1/2 pounds guava (about 12)
3/4 cup prunes, chopped
1 1/2 cups apples, cored and chopped
1 cup pears, cored and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
3 – 5 inches long sugar cane sticks, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup tamarind pods peeled or 1 cup hibiscus flowers dried
1. Place water in a large stockpot and add the piloncillo (or brown sugar) and cinnamon to cook for 15 min. If you are using fresh Tejocotes, add them now; if you are using canned, you can wait until the next step
2. Add fresh fruits, raisins, sugar cane, and tamarind pods and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 1 hour, then let cool to room temperature.
3. Strain the cooked fruits, chopped and dried, and scatter them across a sheet pan and freeze. Chill the punch for at least 2 hours.
4. To serve, pour into a punch bowl and add the frozen fruits and 1 bottle of sweet or dry Lambrusco and gently stir. Ladle into cups with equal parts punch and fruit.
Cook’s Note:
In Puerto Vallarta, Christmas punch wouldn’t be complete without tejocote, the fruit of the Mexican hawthorn tree. This small, golden-yellow fruit is about the size of a cherry tomato, with a sweet and tangy flavor that’s somewhere between apricot and plum. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word texocotl, meaning “stone fruit,” thanks to the hard seeds inside.
Tejocote adds a unique flavor to traditional Mexican punch, but if you can’t find it, don’t worry—a mix of crabapples and dried apricots makes a great substitution! Cheers to holiday fun!
