Looking for a tasty hot drink to help ring in the New Year? Try out this traditional Mexican ponche recipe. You’ll find many of the ingredients at local Fruterías y Verdurías (like the new spot of the Sinaloan Fruit shop on Blvd. Sinaloa).
Ingredients:
piloncillo cone (dark sugar molded into cone shapes)
15 guayabas
25 tejocotes (pronunciation: tay-ho-coat-tay – these are very small dark yellow fruit with a bittersweet taste)
1 cup raisins (pasas)
2 cups prunes (ciruela pasa)
300 grams tamarindo
6 pieces of sugar cane (caña de azúcar)
4 apples (manzanas)
6 cinnamon sticks (canela)
5 or 6 orange rounds with peel (unos dados de cáscara de naranja)
rum or brandy
25 to 30 cups water
Wash and cut up fruit into small pieces before placing them in large pot to boil, along with cinnamon sticks, tamarind, sugar cane and piloncillo.
Bring to a boil and them let simmer for at least an hour.
Serve hot and add a dash of rum, brandy, or other liquor to your liking.
Feliz año nuevo!