Pomegranate Sangria

We had our Christmas party last night and I'd have to say the most popular item served was the punch. The punch bowl was completely dried up by the end and everyone kept commenting how good it was. Since we had more people this year, I decided to serve a punch instead of the usual individual holiday cocktail and this recipe served us well. Of course, we had lots of other delicious items like the mustard crusted beef tenderloin which is turning out to be a Bratney Christmas party tradition

and it never fails to please.

Another surprising hit from our dinner was the Kale Waldorf Salad that I picked up at a local deli here in town called a'Tavola. A friend of mine raved about this salad so I had to investigate and she was right. We went through 5 quarts for 20 people. And it looks festive, too. Normally, you wouldn't think kale salad as a big hit but this one definitely was and I'm always looking for yummy kale dishes. It had green apples, walnuts and craisins in it with a delicious sweet dressing. I'll have to try to come up with this recipe.

Another talk of the party was the dessert, a mixed berry Chantilly cake from Whole Foods.

This was a layered sponge cake with whipped cream and fresh berried layered in-between. All I can say is "Wow" and so did everyone else. As usual, the coffee drinks were flowing with the Chantilly cake. I made lots of Irish coffees, pumpkin spice latte, carmel macchiato, regular latte, and regular drip (what? how boring...)

I couldn't resist to throw in a few petite fours to add to the festive occasion this year. They wash down well with a nice coffee drink...

This year we also did a raffle where 3 lucky people won a new camera, iPad and an Amazon gift certificate.

So, if you're looking to add a punch to your Christmas party this year, you might consider this pomegranate sangria. I found it on the foodnetwork.com by Bobby Flay and it is perfect for a holiday party. I had to triple the recipe for our party. If you need to increase the quantity, a tip to remember is this:

1 bottle of wine is 750 ml

There is 240 ml in 1 cup.

So, if I needed to triple the recipe like I did, then 750 X 3 = 2250 ml

2250 ml / 240 ml (1 cup) = 9.3 cups or 9 - 1/3 cups of wine

Makes 4-6 servings

1 bottle fruity red wine.

I used Gallo which worked well

2 cups pomegranate juice

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1/4 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Make your life easy and try to find them ready-to-use

1 large orange, halved and thinly sliced

1 green apple, cored, halved and thinly sliced

1 cup red grapes, sliced in 1/2

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours before serving. Serve over ice.

It's a fun recipe to make (except if you must do the math) and it's so colorful.

I even enjoyed getting a partial grape or pomegranate seed in the bottom of my glass. A little bit of fruit to chew and savor in your drink is always a bonus.

And you can't beat the beautiful center piece that this punch makes at your party.

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