P____o____n____c____he N____avid____eño is a hot Christmas punch served with or without alcohol during the holiday season in Mexico, Guatemala and the southwestern of United States. It's especially good during Las Posadas, the nine days preceding the celebration of Christmas. Each one of those days, beginning on December 16, symbolizes the months of pregnancy of the Virgin Mary. On cold winter nights, this infusion will keep you warm from inside out. I found the recipe in Yvette Márquez-Sharpnack's superb cooking blog Muy Bueno.
Read more ¿Qué más? Christmas menu: Homemade ponche, our delicious version of eggnog
Ponche Navideño (Christmas Mexican Punch)
Makes 20 servings
__Ingredients
__4 quarts water
2 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
5 long tamarind pods, husk removed, and seeded or boil the entire pod to make removing easier
1/2 pound tejocotes or crab apples, left whole
6 large guavas, peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks
2 red apples (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks
1 pear (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks
2 (4-inch) sugarcane sticks, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 orange, sliced
1 cone piloncillo, chopped or 1 cup dark brown sugar
1 ounce brandy or tequila per cup (optional)
For step-by-step direction, visit Yvette's cooking blog Muy Bueno.
Image via Muy Bueno.
