Festive Holiday Drinks

The Seasonal Plate column features a brunch menu for December. Some of the recipes have been previously posted on Ever Ready blog; Glazed Eggnog Bread, Mexican Cornbread and Sausage Strata and Clementine Pomegranate Salad.  A Poinsettia Mimosa has been added to the brunch menu in the photo above. This drink recipe comes from BHG with an alcohol and non-alcoholic version.   

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tangerines sliced
• maraschino cherries
• 3 cups cranberry juice
• 1/4 cup Triple Sec
• 2 TB. cherry juice
• 1 bottle of champagne or sparkling apple cider
• 32 oz. bottle carbonated water 

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients except cherries and tangerine slices
• Add two cherries to drink and a tangerine slice on rim

Hot Scarlet Punch

recipe adapted from BHG

Ingredients:

• 2 large cinnamon sticks broken up  
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 half of an orange
• 32 oz. cran-raspberry juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 bottle of white Zinfandel  or a dry white wine

Directions:

• Cut orange in half and press 4 cloves into outer skin of orange half and save other half  
• Add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook on low for 1-1/2 hours
• To serve discard orange and cinnamon sticks
• Slice other half of orange and add to rim of each glass or mug  

Pomegranate Martini

Cook's notes: This recipe was in the O Magazine posted by Rachel Ray
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups pomegranate juice
• 2 oz. Absolute Citron vodka or white tequila
• 1 oz. Cointreau liquor
• cup of ice
• splash of sparkling water
• squeeze of a lemon
• pomegranate seeds

Directions:

• Shake ingredients in a shaker and pour into a chilled martini glass
• Garnish with pomegranate fruit in the glass