Ponche Navideno

[Jack Tyler]

You can argue about who eats what in Mexico... but rich, or poor,
everybody seems to enjoy Christmas punch:

6 Quarts of water.
1 Cup of prunes, pitted and chopped.
2 1/4 Pounds of Tejocotes or dried Apricots, washed and opened slightly
with a crosscut.
16 Guavas cut in quarters.
1 1/2 cups of Hibiscus flowers (washed).
6 sugar cane sticks peeled and cut into quarters.
1 Dottle of White Wine.
2 Piloncillo Cones (or two cups Dark Drown Sugar).
2 Cups chopped Apples.
2 Cups Pears (semi ripe) chopped.
1/2 Cup Raisins.
2 Oranges each spiked with 10 Whole Cloves.
4 Cinnamon Sticks, each 6 inches long.
2 Cups Dark Rum.

Place the water in a large saucepan and add the prunes and tejocotes
and cook for 20 minutes, or until the fruit softens. Add the guava,
hibiscus flower, sugar cane, white wine, piloncillo,m apples, pears,
raisins, oranges and cinnamon sticks. Simmer for an hour. Serve hot.
Serve a chunk of fruit in every mug. Add the rum (to the mug) at the
last minute so the chilluns can have some punch, too. The alcohol has
already cooked out of the wine.

All of the ingredients are available in many places... substitutions
are great with other sweet fruits, if necessary.

This recipe is based upon a Patricia Quintana recipe. I wouldn't do a
Christmas party, or have people drop in on Christmas without serving
it.

Jack

[Wayne Lundberg]

"Jack Tyler" <Ja...@MexicoTravelAndLife.com> wrote in message
news:1165248931.6...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...

Awesome! Darn, but this brings back memories!! The aroma through the house
while the folks prepared this delight. I can still smell and taste it! And
that was over 50 years ago.
Tejocotes may be a bit hard to find in the US.
.