Hot Crabby Punch
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You’ll find this recipe in:
The ideals Junior Chef Cookbook
By: Sophie Kay
Milwaukee, 1977
HOT CRABBY PUNCH
YOU WILL NEED:
3-quart saucepan
liquid and dry measuring cups
measuring spoons
wooden spoon
slotted spoon
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups sweet apple cider
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon whole allspice
½ teaspoon whole cloves
Apple slices and cinnamon for garnish
STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1. Measure cider, cranberry juice cocktail, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, allspice and cloves into 3-quart saucepan.
2. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. (Do not cover pan.)
3. When punch begins to boil, turn heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
4. With slotted spoon, remove spices before serving.
5. Decorate with apple slices and cinnamon sticks if you like.
About 9 cups or 12 ¾-cup servings
I haven’t made a recipe for Cloud 9 Cookery since August. My life in the past few months have been filled with hospital visits, funeral arrangements, grieving and figuring out how to be an executor, so this blog took a temporary back burner. But I’m back with Hot Crabby Punch from the 1977 The ideals Junior Chef Cookbook, which is from the first cookbook I’ve ever owned, given to me by my aunt and uncle for my 7th birthday. I remember how proud I was when I made scrambled eggs for myself independently by following the recipe in the book. Try adding a dash of Worcestershire Sauce to your scrambled eggs, it’s rather tasty!
Hot Crabby Punch is actually in the Halloween Party section of the cookbook, and my friend Dean selected this recipe a few months ago. I knew I wanted to make a recipe from this book and was having a hard time deciding on one, so I handed him the cookbook a few months ago. He said he picked Hot Crabby Punch because he had some mulled wine at a party at our house once and this recipe reminded him of that night.
I made the punch for my family when we celebrated Christmas together at my brother’s house. Life is still a bit hectic, chaotic and sad, so I neglected to buy both brown sugar and whole allspice for the recipe. Luckily, my sister-in-law found a package of hard brown sugar in their kitchen for me to use and I just sprinkled in some powdered allspice instead. I used my slow cooker instead of a pot on the stove, so I wouldn’t have to babysit the pot and the punch would stay warm and delicious.
My family seemed to like having Hot Crabby Punch around, so maybe making mulled warm beverages will become a new Christmas tradition. The most sound-bite friendly review was coined by my niece: “Tastes like pie!” I was told “That punch is good, Julie” a few times, “It would be good with vodka” and also “I don’t normally like warm beverages that much, but I liked it”.
