Halloween Punch
Time: 5 minutes mins prep + 25 minutes mins cook + 4 hours hrs chilling
Servings: 20 drinks
Ingredients:
4 cups apple juice
3 tablespoons blackberry preserves
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon black gel food coloring
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 teaspoons whole cloves
edible gold shimmer dust
4 liters ginger ale, chilled
food-safe dry ice, for serving, optional
Directions:
In a large saucepan, add apple juice, blackberry preserves, and brown sugar, then mix well.
While continuing to stir, slowly add black food coloring, ⅛th of a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is a deep black color.
Add cinnamon stick, star anise, and whole cloves to the pot.
Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely.
When ready to serve, remove cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Fill a glass ¼ full with black apple juice mixture. Add a pinch of edible gold shimmer dust, then top the remaining ¾ glass with ginger ale.
If using dry ice: Once added to the drink, ensure it has sublimated (disappeared) before consuming. Leave enough space at the top of the glass for the drink to bubble without spilling over.
Notes:
Precautions for Dry Ice:
Handling: Always handle dry ice with gloves or tongs, as it can cause burns if it comes in direct contact with the skin.
Storage: Store dry ice in an insulated container. Do not store it in a sealed container, as the pressure from the sublimating gas can cause the container to burst.
Keep it out of the freezer: While it might seem logical to store dry ice in a cold place, never store dry ice in a freezer. A freezer counts as a sealed container, and the gas escaping could cause an explosion.
Use in drinks: Never drink while dry ice is still visible in your glass. Wait until it has fully evaporated. Consuming dry ice can cause severe internal burns.
Ventilation: When using dry ice, ensure the area is well-ventilated. As it sublimates, it releases CO₂ gas, which can be harmful in large amounts in enclosed spaces.
Where to Get Food-Safe Dry Ice:
Specialty grocery stores: Some upscale or specialty grocery stores carry food-safe dry ice, especially around the Halloween season.
Ice suppliers: Many ice suppliers who provide regular ice for events or businesses also offer dry ice.
Gas supply stores: Places that sell gases for industrial or medical purposes sometimes sell dry ice as well. Just ensure it’s food-grade if you intend to use it with consumables.
Online retailers: Some online platforms might offer food-safe dry ice, but it often requires expedited shipping due to its sublimation property.
Can you make it in advance?
Absolutely! In fact, this drink must be boiled and then cooled before serving, making it an ideal candidate for preparing in advance.
To ensure the best flavor, I recommend making it at most 24 hours in advance.
How long is it good for?
After you’ve made the initial part of the Halloween punch, which includes the apple juice, preserves, food coloring, and spices, you can keep it in the fridge for a maximum of three to four days.
However, if you’ve combined all the elements of the punch, including the edible gold shimmer dust and ginger ale, it’s best to consume it on the day it was prepared. The quality won’t hold up well if stored beyond that.
Chrisy’s Final Notes:
For best results, I recommend using fresh, perishable apple juice (such as Simply brand) instead of shelf-stable varieties.
To ensure that the punch never loses its carbonation, add the ginger ale per glass instead of pouring it into the main patch of punch.
For the edible gold shimmer dust, serving it per glass is recommended so you always get the full effect of the swirling shimmer look. You can add it to the main punch container, but the shimmer dust will slowly settle at the bottom of the bowl, meaning the punch will need to be stirred often to stay distributed.
Instead of putting dry ice in each glass, you can also periodically add it to the main container of punch. But no matter which method you use, be sure you’re following the safety guidelines for dry ice outlined above.
Before serving, remove the cinnamon stick, star anise, and whole cloves. While they’re great for flavor, they would be an unpleasant surprise (and a choking hazard) in a drink.
Depending on the brand of food coloring you use, the black hue of the drink may be more purple, green, or orange. You may need to add more food coloring to curb it.
If you would like to coax out a different Halloween-themed hue (such as purple, orange, or green), add it at the same time as the black food coloring. You can also use different colors of edible shimmer dust to create unique looks, like silver, bronze, purple, orange, green, blue, etc.
Nutritional Facts:
Serving: 1drink | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Recipe courtesy of Homemade Hooplah.com
Doubly so the fun ones!