How To Make Mexican Holiday Punch

Spice up your holiday gatherings with a little bit of this delicious Mexican fruit punch. This drink, known as Ponche Navideño, is a delicious blend of traditional Mexican fruits and spices-simmered away for hours until all the flavors are at their best. Ingredients like real sugar cane, hibiscus, guava and tejocotes make this dish distinctly Hispanic while spices like cinnamon, clove and raw brown sugar add the perfect amount of Christmas spice. You can leave the drink non-alcoholic or, to add a little more holiday spirit, you can add in some rum, tequila or brandy. Learn how to make this sweet and spicy Mexican holiday punch with our online culinary school teacher and serve it up at your next festivity!

Mexican Holiday Punch

Ingredients
1 lb tejocotes, Hawthorn
10 guavas, cut in half
3 apples, peeled and cut into large pieces
¼ cup hibiscus flowers
3 whole cloves
3 tamarind pods
1/2 cup raisins
6 pieces of sugar cane, peeled and cut into sticks
2 sticks cinnamon
1 large piloncillo cone
2 cups of sugar
5 quarts of water
3 pears, cut into large dice
½ pineapple, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup pitted prunes

Preparation
1. In a large pot add the water, sugar, cinnamon and piloncillo. As soon as it starts boiling, add the sugar cane and tejocotes. After simmering for 15 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients. Remember to simmer at low for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve hot in mugs, ladling some fruit and adding rum, tequila or brandy if you desire.