Under The Mistletoe Punch Food

UNDER-THE-MISTLETOE PUNCH

Steps:

• Spiced Syrup:
• Bring raw sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and 1 1/3 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and let spices steep 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small measuring glass or bowl (you'll have 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups syrup); let syrup cool. Cover and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes.
• Assembly:
• Stir spiced syrup, sherry, vermouth, cranberry juice, and lemon juice in a large pot or bowl.
• If serving from a dispenser with a spigot, line sides at the bottom with a row of orange wheels and fill one-quarter full with crushed ice to hold orange wheels against sides. Create another layer of orange wheels and add just enough ice to hold them against sides. Repeat until dispenser is full. Pour punch over ice and top with fir sprigs, if desired. Serve punch in ice-filled glasses garnished with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and orange wheels.
• If serving in a punch bowl, add 4 cups ice cubes to punch and stir until very cold, about 1 minute. Remove ice with a slotted spoon. Ladle into ice-filled glasses garnished with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and orange wheels.
• Do Ahead
• Syrup can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled. Punch (stirring in ice if serving in a punch bowl) can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

MISTLETOE PUNCH

Steps:

• Combine cranberry juice, orange juice, water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oranges in crockpot.
• Turn on high and bring to a boil.
• Stir in tea when mixture is boiling hot.
• Add skewered cranberries.
• Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
• Serve as desired, either warm from the crockpot or chilled over ice.

UNDER-THE-MISTLETOE PUNCH

Steps:

• Bring raw sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and 1⅓ cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and let spices steep 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small measuring glass or bowl (you'll have 1½-1¾ cups syrup); let syrup cool. Cover and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes.
• Do Ahead: Syrup can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled.
• Stir spiced syrup, sherry, vermouth, cranberry juice, and lemon juice in a large pot or bowl.
• If serving from a dispenser with a spigot, line sides at the bottom with a row of orange wheels and fill one-quarter full with crushed ice to hold orange wheels against sides. Create another layer of orange wheels and add just enough ice to hold them against sides. Repeat until dispenser is full. Pour punch over ice and top with fir sprigs, if desired. Serve punch in ice-filled glasses garnished with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and orange wheels.
• If serving in a punch bowl, add 4 cups ice cubes to punch and stir until very cold, about 1 minute. Remove ice with a slotted spoon. Ladle into ice-filled glasses garnished with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and orange wheels.
• Do Ahead: Punch (stirring in ice if serving in a punch bowl) can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.