Whether it's for a big Christmas party or smaller gathering of family or friends, a batch of Grandma's Christmas Punch will bring on the smiles ... especially when you pair it with a big tray of cookies. Just like Grandma does.
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The Christmas season is here! And along with it comes so many fantastic and fun family traditions.
One of those fun traditions from my husband Mark's family is enjoying big batches of this Christmas Punch, which we now lovingly refer to as Grandma's Christmas Punch after Mark's mom who started the holiday tradition of making it.
During Mark's childhood, his parents used to throw a big Christmas party each year for Mark's dad's business associates and clients, inviting them all out to the house for an evening of fun. Mark says he can remember getting to say hi to the party-goers, and then peering down on the party festivities throughout the evening from the stairs above. (I'm guessing he was supposed to be tucked away in bed!)
And he says he can remember his mom serving up trays upon trays of Christmas cookies ... like cherry almond cookies, pound cake cookies, and his dad's favorite 7-layer cookies. She would begin the party baking well before Thanksgiving and freeze big batches of cookies in preparation for the big party.
The days of the big Christmas party have come and gone, but we still enjoy a batch of Grandma's Christmas Punch every year on Christmas day.
Quite frequently, I'm told, she'd have to whip up a few extra pans of 7-layer cookies at the last minute because Mark's dad had snuck into the freezer and eaten a bunch of them up.
And alongside all those trays and trays of Christmas cookies at the party, Mark's mom would serve up batches and batches of this Christmas punch.
The days of the big Christmas party have come and gone, but we still enjoy a batch of Grandma's Christmas Punch every year on Christmas day -- alongside her family-favorite Christmas day cookie tray. The cookies may be served up on a smaller scale than in the days of the party ... but rest assured all the favorites are still there. -- And the cookies and punch both are still putting smiles on the faces of those who get to enjoy them.
Grandma's Christmas Punch Ingredients:
As for the punch itself, it's a simple mixture of orange juice,pineapple juice, sugar syrup, andmaraschino cherries(both the juice and the cherries themselves), topped off with a generous dose ofgingerale. It's a wonderful flavor combination that's indeed, as it sounds by the combination of ingredients, on the sweet side. -- A sweetness perfect for holiday indulging!
The base mixture can be made several days in advance and refrigerated, adding the gingerale just before serving.
The base mixture can be made several days in advance and refrigerated, adding the gingerale just before serving. I just mix and store my batch in large plastic container, and then transfer it to a prettyserving pitcherorpunch bowlat serving time.
Mark's mom says if the punch was running low at the party, she'd just start adding more gingerale to make it go further. It's a very forgiving recipe like that.
How to Make Grandma's Christmas Punch:
It's easy to whip up a batch of Grandma's Christmas Punch. The hardest part is making the punch's sugar syrup, and believe me, that's not very hard.
To make the sugar syrup that sweetens the punch, place some granulatedsugar and water in asaucepan. Bring them to a boil, stirring very frequently, to fully dissolve the sugar. Then set the sugar syrup aside to cool. (Not hard at all, right?)
Then in a large pitcher or other container, combine the cooled sugar syrup, some orange juice,pineapple juice, a jar of maraschino cherries, and the cherry juice from the jar. Stir all this together until everything's well mixed. Then refrigerate the punch mixture until you're ready to serve.
At serving time,addgingeraleto the juice mixture to taste. I mix it at a ratio of about 2/3 juice mixture to 1/3 gingerale. Grandma usually mixes it about ½ juice mixture and ½ gingerale. -- Play with it to see what you like best.
So whether you're preparing for a large Christmas party, or for a smaller gathering of family or friends, a batch of Grandma's Christmas Punch is a wonderful addition to the festivities.
I know for sure we'll be enjoying a batch on Christmas day along with Grandma's Christmas day cookie tray. It's a family tradition that continues to bring on the smiles.
Check out these other favorite family-friendly Christmas time drinks:
- Chai Tea Latte Mix
- Santa's Hat Shirley Temple
- Easy Eggless Eggnog
- White Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog
- Mocha Eggnog
- The BEST Hot Chocolate (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
- Slow Cooker Caramel Hot Chocolate
- Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
- More beverage recipes
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!
punch recipe, Christmas punch recipe, Christmas drinks, Christmas drinks for kids
Beverages
American
Yield: about 20 servings
Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground
How to Make Grandma's Christmas Punchhttps://youtu.be/06mAMUJBmqQDemonstration of how to make Grandma's Christmas Punch
Grandma's Christmas Punch
Whether it's for a big Christmas party or smaller gathering of family or friends, a batch of Grandma's Christmas Punch will bring on the smiles ... especially when you pair it with a big tray of cookies. Just like Grandma does.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 20 Min
Ingredients
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 ½ c. water
- 4 c. orange juice
- 1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
- 1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries & the juice
- 2 liter bottle gingerale
Instructions
- Place sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring very frequently, to dissolve sugar. Set this sugar syrup aside to cool.
- In a large pitcher or other container, combine cooled sugar syrup, orange juice, pineapple juice, cherries, and the cherry juice. Stir until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, add gingerale to the juice mixture to taste. (I mix it at a ratio of about 2/3 juice mixture to 1/3 gingerale. Grandma usually mixes it about ½ juice mixture and ½ gingerale.)
TRACEY'S NOTES:
- Punch can be served in a punch bowl or in individual servings. If using a punch bowl, stir the juice mixture and gingerale together in the punch bowl right before serving. For individual servings, fill each glass about 1/2 to 2/3 full with juice mixture and then fill the remainder of the glass with gingerale.
- I like to make sure each serving gets at least one cherry!
- Grandma says this recipe serves about 20 people. Of course, that depends on how much each person drinks.
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