Monday, December 31, 2018

Christmas Punch

This Christmas, I couldn't find my Christmas folder that had recipes that I've made in the past. Hopefully, it will turn up as I go through my files.

At any rate, I looked for some new recipes to try this year and came across a recipe for Sensational Slush by Taste of Home. I've had this recipe in my "Want to Try" file for 13 years now. Wish I would have tried it sooner. Everyone at Christmas enjoyed it - even the most finicky youngest kids.

Had I read the recipe the day before, I would have made it properly and allowed it to freeze and then thaw a bit. I made the recipe on Christmas morning and put it in the refrigerator to cool down a bit. However, it wasn't as slushy as I think the recipe intended. Either way, it's a delicious blend of flavors.

It takes about 25 minutes to make the recipe plus the time for freezing (if desired). It makes about 20 servings.

Sensational Slush

The Happy Holidays cups belonged to my parents.
They would use these each Christmas morning.
We served the punch in the cups this year.
The bowl behind it also belonged to my parents. 
My sister has it, so we used it as a punch bowl.
My parents would use it make my Grandma's rolls and
stuffing for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
2 cups cold water
2 liters lemon-lime soda, chilled

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and gelatin in boiling water. In a blender, combine pineapple juice and strawberries; cover and process until blended. Add to gelatin mixture. (Note: I did the reverse. I added the gelatin and water to the mixture in the Vita-Mix Mixer.)

Stir in concentrates and cold water. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the freezer 45 minutes before serving. For each serving, combine 1/2 cup slush mixture with 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda; stir well. (In our case, I poured the concentrate into a big bowl and then added all the pop to it.)

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 151 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 22mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (35g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.

Some Tips from Other People Who Tried the Recipe

- Make half at the beginning of the summer when strawberries are in season; and then freeze half of it for later in the summer.
- Freeze the mixture in gallon zipper bags for when smaller portions are wanted. The base lasts for months in the freezer.

2 comments:

Rita said...

Sounds interesting. Doesn't look like a slushie as we think of them, but I bet it was still good. :)

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

From Isabelle (who was unable to log on without a google account, but wanted to leave a comment): I didn't know this Christmas punch. This year I made one with hot apple, cinnamon and spices.