It’s rainy and cold today. Not unexpectedly. The cool down has been in the forecast for the past week, and, honestly, it’s nice to have the break from the heat. Next week, we will get back into the 70s, but, for now, we get to snuggle with blankets, turn on the faux fireplace, and take a bit of a breather from the activities of summer and fall.
When the weather gets like this, my thoughts also turn to comfort foods. In other words, this is a perfect day for Hot Punch.
Wait. Who am I kidding. Yes, today is a great day for Hot Punch, but I make this stuff year-round. Warm, cold, rainy, sunny–it doesn’t matter. My family LOVES it year round.
For an easy-to-make treat, especially on days when you are going to stay around the house (think Harry-Potter-all-eight-movies marathon), this is the go-to beverage.
It’s a one-pot thing, takes about five minutes to make (seriously, gathering the ingredients takes the most time), and needs only about 15 minutes to cook. And, you might already have the ingredients on hand (or workable substitutes).
Once it comes to a boil, you can grab a cup and enjoy. Then, let the rest simmer on low for another 30-ish minutes and subsequent cups will be even more amazing.
After I turn off the stove, I usually just leave the pot there for the rest of the day. The entire family will sip on it until bedtime, usually.
When it is time to put it in the fridge, I just pour what is left into the empty juice bottles, and we drink it for a couple more days. Just pop a cup into the microwave and instant yumminess (don’t judge the use of that word–it fits here).
One word of caution. This punch is made from juice. The same stuff used in a juice cleanse. You get what I’m saying, right? If you drink a lot of it, just be mindful of the aftereffects, o.k.?
Making a punch like this is a sure-fire way to make everyone happy. If you have a variation on this punch, it would be awesome if you share it below. Let’s ensure that everyone has a go-to punch in their family cookbook.
Enjoy this easy and delicious receipe!
Hot Punch
Ingredients
- bottle of apple juice
- bottle of cranberry juice
- can of pineapple juice
- 8-12 cloves or to taste
- 3-4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 large teabag
- heaping tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 lemon cut up
Directions
- Put all ingredients into a stock pot (squeeze juice from lemon or lime and add the rind to the pot).
- Turn on high until it begins to boil.
That’s all there is to it. You can grab a cup as soon as it is warm, but it definitely will have a more robust flavor if you let it simmer for a bit.
This punch is incredibly customizable. Don’t have a lemon? Use a lime, an orange or other citric juice. Add an herb tea bag instead of black tea. Love the twang of more cloves? Add them! You can even switch out juices. I’ve used cranberry pomegranate, for example. They key here is ease and comfort.
Let me know if you give it a try and why you did differently. I love to experiment with food!