‘Tis the season for holiday recipes, and you’re going to love this mulled cranberry mocktail for all your holiday festivities! I don’t know about you, but I feel like the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas went by in a flash. My daughter was admitted to the hospital for a few days last week, so we’ve been playing catch-up ever since. It certainly puts things in perspective though– suddenly the fact we may not get Christmas cards out this year or bake 7 dozen cookies doesn’t seem so terrible when you focus on what’s important. Anyways, deep breaths, we’ve got this! Our recipe for Santa’s Little Helper punch is wildly popular this time of year, so I wanted to create a non-alcoholic companion to it which leads me to this, the Mulled Cranberry Mocktail! Which you can also spike with some wine or champagne if you wish, just sayin’. (wink)
Ingredients
4 Cups cranberry juice
1/2 Cup apple juice
1/4 Cup pomegranate juice
1/4 Cup sugar
2 Tsp vanilla extract
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 Orange, sliced
4 Cloves
3 Star anise
1/4 Tsp grated nutmeg
Directions
1. In a pan, mix the cranberry with the apple and pomegranate juice. Add the sugar and mix well. Let simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, orange, cloves, star anise and nutmeg and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until fragrant.
Remove from the stove and pour through colander into a heat-proof container, then pour into mugs and add an orange slice garnish. Alternately, you could tie up a bundle of the spices in cheesecloth and tie with baker’s twine, and simply remove and pour when ready. Enjoy!
Tips
You can also add a bit of wine or champagne if you want to spike it. Or make ice cubes or an ice ring out of cranberry juice with some orange or cranberries frozen inside for a festive addition to the punch bowl!
Hope you are enjoying these last few days before the holidays, and if you need a reminder to slow down, just think of this recipe and consider brewing up a quick batch during your busy day. Sit back and reflect on the tastes, scents, and sounds of this glorious season… and consider ditching whatever is most stressing you out this year, whether it’s Christmas cards or the 583 dozen cookies too. 😉
PS: If you need a little somethin’ somethin’ in your punch, you will LOVE our Santa’s Little Helper punch recipe (also known as the Best Ever Christmas Punch). Trust me!
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Carrie, I make something similar, but it only has two ingredients. 100% Cranberry juice and a package of red hots. (Cinnamon candies). I use a percalator coffee pot. Put the candies in the basket where the coffee goes. Fill the pot with Cranberry juice and let it perk until all the candies are dissolved. I’ve also made this with apple cider, but the cranberry is so much better to me. Not as sweet, and the cinnamon is more distinct.