cranberry Archives - Do You Roux?

Festive Cinnamon Ginger Apple Cider Punch Recipe

Marc — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 17:40:18 +0000

There’s no better way to celebrate the holiday season than with this delicious punch recipe. It’s packed with warming spices, sweet apple cider, cream, and ginger ale. This delicious and festive apple cider punch is perfect for a fall holiday party or any other occasion that calls for a spiced cider!

Party punches are pretty easy to make and very hard to mess up. Just toss a bunch of tasty drinks together and mix in a few things to put it all over the top. But if you’re wanting a drink that perfectly fits the season and mood, then look no further than the recipe below.

Unlike my Thanksgiving punch recipe, this one does not come from family tradition. Just a fun, new punch that I wanted to create because I love apple cider and all of the typical seasonal spices.

This festive cinnamon ginger apple cider punch is the perfect thing to serve to friends and family. It’s light and refreshing with a hint of spice. Here’s how to make a delicious drink perfect for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, or just because.

The Apple Cider of It All

It’s the season for apples! And so, now is the time to make use of fresh, delicious apple cider. I absolutely love apple cider and can hardly get enough of it during the apple season.

And that’s really the inspiration behind this recipe. I really just needed an excuse to drink more apple cider. So, why not make an apple cider punch?

What’s the big difference between regular old apple juice and seasonal apple cider anyways?

The difference between apple juice and apple cider all comes down to the processing. Both start with pressing apples, but apple juice is then filtered and pasteurized for better shelf stability. Juice may also have preservatives or sugar added as well. Cider is unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This is why cider is typically only made available during the apple harvest season. It just doesn’t last as long and will relatively quickly ferment into apple cider vinegar or alcoholic cider. The sediment at the bottom of apple cider is a result of the lack of filtering but just needs a quick shake before serving.

This punch is a wonderful way to serve the traditional drink.

Apple Cider Punch Ingredients

As I said above, making a batch of apple cider punch isn’t difficult. All you need to do is mix together the ingredients in a large punch bowl or beverage server (at least 2 gallons…).

The idea behind apple cider punch is pretty simple. It’s a smooth, lightly carbonated spiced apple drink that’s meant to be enjoyed as a sipping beverage. It has a light sweetness, a little tartness, and a nice, crisp finish.

Though cider is also frequently served warm, I wanted a cold beverage for this punch. For a warmer fall drink, try my decadent homemade hot chocolate.

First and foremost, start with apple cider.

Find apple cider in stores from mid-September through November. Or, better yet, find a local orchard that sells fresh cider. If you can’t find it anywhere, then you can substitute apple juice if you really need to. It’ll just be a little less flavorful.

The other main ingredient in this punch is ginger ale. This will lend carbonation that helps lift the party punch up a bit.

Heavy cream completely changes the color and texture of the drink while cranberry juice adds a bit of tartness.

The final additions to the punch are an array of spices and flavorings. Included spices are nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. And for a bit more flavor, we add a bit of vanilla extract.

The mix of spices is the same that can be found in my spiced pumpkin pie recipe.

Mixing the Apple Cider Punch

The quick and dirty way to make a punch is just to mix everything together all at once. Which is serviceable, but can be improved.

The biggest pitfall in the full-dump method is losing carbonation quickly. So, I mix the punch together in sort of batches. Start by mixing just the heavy cream, spices, and vanilla extract. This provides a good base to begin mixing with everything else.

Then add in the cranberry juice and apple cider. Use a whisk or a good ladle to stir everything together as best as possible. The spices like to try and clump together, so thorough mixing is required.

Finally, add in the ginger ale and give it a quick stir. Be gentle during this mixing step to disturb the carbonation as little as possible.

On to the fun part of serving the punch.

Serving the Apple Cider Punch

This apple cider punch is a fun and easy drink for holiday parties. To take it to the next level, focus on having an interesting presentation and options for topping the drink.

You may want to have ice available for the drink to help keep it cold. I am not the biggest fan of ice. I think it waters down the flavors of the drink too much. But I know some people would rather have ice to chill.

I recommend serving the punch in a large pitcher with a ladle. The drink will separate over time. Just mix it back together. So having the drink in an open pitcher makes it possible to stir everything together as needed. A beverage server with a spout could also work but would be harder to stir. You will need a container with at least a 2-gallon capacity.

A pitcher can also be great for serving as it makes pouring the drink easy. However, be aware that most pitchers would not have a very large capacity, so you’d end up having to refill it.

When it comes to serving apple cider punch, you can also go with something simple. But here are some options if you want to fancy it up:

Top the drink with homemade whipped cream
Colored sugars for glass rims
Sprinkle the top with nutmeg
Use cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, cranberries, or apple slices to garnish the punch bowl

When serving, be careful when pouring the liquid. Make sure that you pour slowly so that it doesn’t splash or run down the outside of the glass.

How to Store the Punch

This recipe makes a huge batch of punch. Which is great, but it can also mean that you have some left over after your gathering or holiday party is over.

First of all, you should always keep your punch in the fridge when it isn’t being served.

Once your punch is made, keep it cool as best as possible. You may be able to surround your punch bowl or serving container with ice.

Storing punch can be tricky. The carbonation will typically end up going flat overnight, depending on how you store it. Store the punch in the fridge for up to a week. Maybe have a little extra ginger ale on hand to pour into any leftovers to help revive it a bit.

In the end, this recipe is really quick to make. And, it’s fun to serve. So, if you want to make your party a success, consider serving this festive cinnamon ginger apple cider punch. It’s a delicious, refreshing drink that you’ll love!

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this apple cider punch! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Festive Cinnamon Ginger Apple Cider Punch

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DrinksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

minutes

This festive apple cider punch is a great fall and winter drink recipe that’s perfect for the holidays with warm spices and smooth flavor.

Ingredients

1 gallon apple cider
2 liters ginger ale
2 cups cranberry juice
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large punch bowl or beverage server, whisk together the cream, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla
Add in the cranberry juice and apple cider and mix everything together until the spices have fully mixed in
Pour in the ginger ale and give it a gentle mix so everything is combined
Top the drink as desired and serve

Get recipes like this straight to your inbox:

The post Festive Cinnamon Ginger Apple Cider Punch Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Fall Flavors Tier List | 5 A+ Flavors, 5 C- Flavors

Marc — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 22:20:05 +0000

Fall brings so many different changes. In leaves, in weather, in decor, and in fresh produce. And along with all of these changes, uniquely fall flavors begin to make their appearances across menus and plates worldwide.

The ubiquitous flavor of pumpkin spice is now synonymous with the season changing to fall. But that isn’t the only flavor to enjoy.

From mouthwatering maple to ambrosial apples, there is something here for everyone. But, which flavors are really worth our time during autumn and the spooky season? I have taken it upon myself to review 10 fall flavors and let you know which are worthwhile.

So, now on to the totally not subjective and absolutely set-in-stone fall flavors tier list.

Pumpkin Spice – F Tier

Let’s get this out of the way, I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice. Not because I think it’s too ‘basic’ or that the flavor itself isn’t tasty but on principle alone. Pumpkin spice is not its own spice. So it must be F-tier.

It originates from all of the spices that make up a pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin spice has long since been synonymous with fall because of the far-reaching pumpkin spice latte (a PSL for short…) made famous by Starbucks.

In fact, the spice you usually buy at the grocery store is just an imitation of the true flavors that make pumpkin pie. The spice contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

So instead of buying a pre-made spice, why don’t you try making your own? You can easily combine these five basic spices into a delicious mixture that will remind you of pumpkin pies and other autumn treats.

And even though this is the worst of the fall flavors, you can enjoy it in these recipes (though only one calls for pre-made pumpkin spice mix):

Cloves – A- Tier

I have a confession. I’ve got a soft spot for cloves. For me, I think it was love at first smell.

So I may be biased but I definitely think cloves are A-tier. But because I can be reasonable and recognize others might not enjoy the flavor as much, I’ll knock it down to an A- for fall flavors.

Some may find the flavor and smell of cloves overwhelming. I don’t know how. I would like to wrap myself in a blanket of cloves for the whole fall and winter season.

Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult finding recipes that feature cloves. And I’m sad to say I haven’t made a recipe for this site yet to use cloves as the star. Though my clove ratios in all pumpkin pie spice creations are skewed much higher than most.

So try the following clove recipes:

Cranberry – D Tier

I’ve long had a grudge against cranberries.

I’ve never really loved their flavor and found them a bit sour for my taste. I must admit that I do have a real bad sweet tooth. But, my issue with them started when they just started being used in everything.

Maybe it was cheaper to include cranberries or their juice in things, but it just took over. It may be a kind of smart cooking technique to use this fall flavor to cut the sweetness of other foods. But I just won’t stand for it.

Though I have to say that craisins – dried cranberries – make for pretty good salad toppings. That’s the saving grace that secures them a D instead of an F rating.

If you’re more into cranberries than I am, try these creations:

Maple – A Tier

Maple syrup is one of my favorite things to cook with. Not only does it taste great, but it can be used to make delicious treats. Maple syrup can be used in place of sugar or honey.

You’ll want to get real maple syrup, rather than any kind of imitation. There are a bunch of different grades of maple syrup and whatnot, but I can’t be bothered to get into all of that right now.

Because it is a natural product, maple syrups can vary widely depending on a whole lot of environmental and processing factors. But I think that lends a bit of uniqueness when looking at different

Its sweet, slightly spicy, and vanilla flavor profile along with its wide versatility give maple syrup an A rating.

If you’re looking to add maple flavor to your life, here’s how to get started:

Pumpkin – D Tier

Pumpkins are a symbol of the season. If you think of fall you’ll likely think of leaves changing colors and pumpkins.

But just because something is iconic doesn’t mean it is the best. Just like with pumpkin spice, we have to keep it real.

Most things that use pumpkin call for canned pumpkin. That’s because it can be annoying to cook and prepare your own pumpkin. Plus, the typical pumpkin you think of for carving up and decorating is not the best for eating. Those varieties are much smaller.

Plus, most recipes with pumpkin really feature other more powerful flavors that overshadow the gourd itself, so how good can it really be? Just look for butternut squash recipes instead cause they’ll probably be better.

When it comes down to it, pumpkin tends to make a better decoration than it does a flavor. So it’ll rank D-tier on our fall flavors list.

Put your canned pumpkin to good use in these recipes:

Cinnamon – A+ Tier

Cinnamon is one of the most popular spices in the world. Its warm, woody, slightly sweet flavor and amazing fragrance make it one of the best.

Many many fall recipes call for the addition of cinnamon. It definitely seems to be the most widely used spice from the list of those that make up the warm spices of pumpkin pie spice.

With its delicious flavor and wide usability, cinnamon deserves an A+ rating.

Here are some cinnamon-centric recipes:

Ginger – C Tier

Okay, ginger itself is better than C-tier. But I’m out here judging everything as fall flavors. And I haven’t ever really associated ginger with just the fall. It is a year-round kind of spice that is used widely in many dishes.

Warm, peppery, with some heat and zest, use ginger when you’re looking to add that extra kick to a dish. Whether fresh or ground, it can add a whole layer of complexity to food.

Because ginger is just not quite associated with fall, I had to rate it lower than it really deserves.

Get your ginger fix with any of these:

Pecan – A Tier

Pecans are nuts that grow on trees. If you have a tree in your yard, you might be able to get some pecans from time to time. However, most people buy them at the store.

If you love pecans, then you should definitely add them to your diet. You can eat the raw seeds straight from the shell, but you can also bake them into cookies. This is one of the best ways to enjoy the flavor.

You can also use pecans as an ingredient in many different recipes. Ground, chopped, whole,

Here are some recipes for enjoying this nutty treat:

Nutmeg – C Tier

I mostly think of nutmeg as a finishing garnish. It is difficult to find recipes with nutmeg as a featured ingredient.

Especially associated with eggnog (which is a trash drink… don’t get me started), it is somewhat comparable to cloves but with a nutty, woody flavor.

I’ll admit that I’ve never grated any fresh, just used a prepackaged spice. So maybe that would improve its ranking for me. But until then, nutmeg gets a grade of C compared to all fall flavors.

Try this warm spice in any of these recipes:

Apple – S Tier

Apple is one of the most popular fruits around the world. From applesauce to apple pie, this fruit is delicious. If you want a snack that can help you keep your energy levels high, then you should consider apples.

They are so completely versatile. Eat it straight. Bake it. Chop it. Slice it. Juice it. Top a salad. Blend it up into applesauce. Add it to pies and desserts galore.

Plus, there are like a million different varieties of apples that all have a slightly different taste. So there’s bound to be a variety for everyone.

Because fall is when apples naturally ripen, this is when they are at their peak. Especially if you can find a pick-your-own orchard near you for those super-fresh and ripe apples. Also, you need apples to make both apple juice and apple cider. Which are both top-tier drinks in their own right.

For all these reasons, apples get the highest rating possible when ranking the fall flavors – S-tier.

So, don’t let

The post Fall Flavors Tier List | 5 A+ Flavors, 5 C- Flavors appeared first on Do You Roux?.