Punch up your Halloween gathering with a zesty, fruity punch.
Whether you are hosting a party, a family gathering or a day of Halloween movies, setting out a bowl of punch, a ladle and cups makes it easy for guests to serve themselves. And since it’s Halloween, you can dress it up with a variety of spooky ice sculptures or fruit slices, or use dry ice underneath for a foggy appearance. Just don’t put the dry ice directly in your drinks. It makes them unfit for human consumption.
You can combine dry ice with water in a separate bowl under your punch bowl or float ice sculptures such as human hands or Halloween ice cubes in your punch.
Most punches begin with a base of fruit juice or juices. Cranberry works well for Halloween as well as the other winter holidays. You can make a colorful sangria or a rum punch if you are serving grownups, while fruit juices mixed with carbonated drinks are best for children.
This recipe from simplyhappyfoodie.com is colorful and fun and can be made with alcohol or without. You can fill the food-safe gloves with water or more fruit juice if you are worried about diluting the punch when they melt. For Christmas and Thanksgiving this same punch works with appropriate holiday-themed ice sculptures.
4 quarts cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
2 cups pineapple juice, chilled
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
½ of 1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale (or lemon-lime soda)
4 to 6 cups vodka (optional)
Frozen cranberries (optional for garnish)
Tools needed:
8-to-10-quart punchbowl
Punch ladle
For creepy ice sculptures (optional)
Food-safe gloves (for icy hands)
Punch:
1. When you fill a large punchbowl, make sure it is sitting where you want it first, so you don’t have to try and move it after it is full.
2. Pour the cranberry juice, pineapple juice, lemonade concentrate, and ginger ale, and vodka, if using, into a punchbowl and stir. Make sure you leave enough room for your spooky ice sculptures.
Spooky Ice Sculptures:
1. For the hands, fill the food-safe glove three-quarters full with water (or use juice so you don’t water down your punch). Tie them like a balloon or twist the end and use a strong clamp to keep it closed and lay as flat as possible in the freezer (possibly on a tray).
2. When frozen solid, take them out of the freezer and very gently cut the gloves off using small scissors or knife. Be careful not to break the fingers.
3. Add them to the punch just before your guests arrive.
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