VAMPIRE PUNCH

VAMPIRE PUNCH
Can't find a blood bank for some Vampire Punch? Then try my recipe
for something equally as tasty with a nice autumn spice flavor!
INGREDIENTS1 chilled 25.4-ounce bottle sparkling cider (about 3 1/4
cups)
1 chilled 1-quart bottle cranberry juice cocktail
1 chilled 1-liter bottle club soda or seltzer water
1 cup dark rum if desired For spice syrup:
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS
Make spice syrup:
In a small saucepan bring syrup ingredients to a boil, stirring
until sugar is dissolved, and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Let syrup
cool. Syrup can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, kept in a covered
container or bottle.
In a punch bowl combine remaining ingredients and strain syrup
through a fine sieve into punch. Stir punch and add lots of ice.
Makes about 13 cups.
TIP
Dress the punch bowl up with some decorative ice shapes. You can use
food grade plastic gloves to freeze ice for floating hands. Gloves
are available at restaurant supply stores, are made of clear plastic
and have no talc on them. Fill with water or colored water, juice,
etc. and freeze. When hard, remove glove and float in your punch
bowl! You can also look at specialty stores for roll ice cube trays
and make floating eyes, use something red and they become floating
blood clots.