Ingredients of a Woman

   
Also called “Ponche”. Your whole house will get a sweet aromatic smell. This hot drink will warm even the coldest winter night.
Ponche is a traditional drink in Mexico; we love to make it during the Christmas season. Since it’s freezing in Dallas, I decided to have the first Christmas of 2010, making the hot sweet delicious Ponche de Frutas (Fruit Punch).

   
So easy to make, you’re going to love it.

   
Here are the ingredients you need:

Some fresh cinnamon sticks, about three.

   
Ten cloves,

   
Half a pound of tamarind,

Don’t forget to peel them of…

   
Two lbs of piloncillo. Piloncillo is like brown sugar, but not exactly, see the sugarcane gets pressed in a large artifact to get all the juice from it, then, that juice is boiled at super high temperatures, until its color turns into a beautiful gold-brownish paste, which then gets formed into a cone. Here is a picture of the final product:

I love it, not only because it makes me feel like Speedy Gonzales, but also because contains large amounts of calcium, iron and proteins, ahaaa, its not only sugarrrr!! Plus its flavor is lighter than brown sugar. Piloncillo is one of the ingredients in many of my desserts, “¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!”

   
Two apples peeled and chopped, and two sweet juicy pears also peeled and chopped.

   
Twelve guavas,

please don’t tell anyone, I cheatted this time and used frozen guavas, I didn’t want to go to the grocery store to get fresh fruit, forgive me, but It’s freezing in Dallas.
If you want to be gooood, use fresh fruit.

   
About two lbs of sugarcane, shhhhh, also frozen….

   
One cup of raisins and one of prunes,

The juice of 6 oranges, just FYI, I had fresh oranges at home.

   
Boil the drinking water with the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and the piloncillo then, reduce the temperature and add the rest of the ingredients, except the Brandy. How easy is this?

   
Let the fruit enjoy its hot bath for an hour.

   
Serve hot in a bowl, just like soup,

   
or in a glass, as cocktail…

   
Add some Brandy if you like, only if you like…

Enjoy it in a cold winter night, it doesn’t have to be Christmas.

Alba

   
Ingredients
6 Liters of drinking water
2 Lbs. piloncillo
1 Cup of raisins
1 Cup of pitted prunes
3 Cinnamon sticks
10 Whole cloves
8-10 small crabapples (tejocotes)
½ Lb. of tamarind pods
12 Guavas
2 Lbs. sugar cane
2 Apples, peeled and chopped
2 Pears, peeled and chopped
4 Large oranges (or 6 medium ones) juiced
Sugar to taste, if needed
Brandy (optional)

   
Preparation
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil with the cloves, piloncillo and cinnamon sticks, then, reduce the temperature and add the rest of the ingredients, except the Brandy. Add some more water if needed, let the punch simmer for about one hour.
Serve warm, adding booze for the adults

   
Buen Provecho!

Written by Alba Olaya

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