Spiced Tea Punch
Ingredients
ICE WREATH
- 1 orange cut into small chunks
- 16 whole cranberries
- 8 cinnamon sticks 3 inch
- Fresh mint leaves
- 1½ quarts water
FRAGRANT SIMPLE SYRUP
- 1½ cups packed brown sugar
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup chopped gingerroot
- 4 whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Grated peel of 1 orange
PUNCH
- 3 cups water
- 14 tea bags orange pekoe or white mango tea
- 4 cups cranberry juice or cranberry-pomegranate juice chilled
- 4 cups pineapple juice or orange juice chilled
- ¾ cup frozen thawed lemonade concentrate (from 12-oz can)
- 1 bottle 1 liter ginger ale or club soda (4¼ cups), chilled
- 2 cups light rum 16 oz, if desired
Instructions
- In 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, arrange orange pieces, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and mint to look like a holiday wreath.
- Carefully pour enough of the 1½ quarts water along edge of pan to touch at least part of all decorations without dislodging them.
- Freeze about 1 hour or until firm.
- Add enough water to completely cover decorations.
- Freeze until completely frozen, about 3 hours.
- Keep frozen until serving time.
- Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix simple syrup ingredients.
- Cook over medium-low heat about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until simmering, liquid is clear and spices are fragrant.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until cold.
- Strain syrup; discard solids.
- Refrigerate until serving time.
- In medium microwavable bowl, heat 3 cups water until very hot but not boiling.
- Add tea bags; let stand 5 minutes to steep.
- Remove tea bags; discard.
- Cool tea to room temperature.
- Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until cold.
- In large punch bowl, stir together tea, simple syrup, juices and lemonade concentrate.
- Stir in ginger ale and rum.
- Briefly run outside of cake pan under warm water; invert pan to remove ice wreath.
- Gently slip ice wreath into punch.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Make-Ahead Magic
The flavor of the Fragrant Simple Syrup improves if it rests overnight in the refrigerator. In fact, you can keep it in the fridge up to 1 week before making the punch. The Ice Wreath can also be made ahead and kept in the freezer up to 1 month.
The flavor of the Fragrant Simple Syrup improves if it rests overnight in the refrigerator. In fact, you can keep it in the fridge up to 1 week before making the punch. The Ice Wreath can also be made ahead and kept in the freezer up to 1 month.
