Orange Pomegranate Spiced Punch

This is a festive recipe using the dry, sour notes of pomegranate and playing them off a warm spice blend. The orange juice provides a base that mellows the pomegranate and adds sugar to the spice, leaving everything nice! Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups of Orange Juice
• 1 Pomegranate
• 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Star Anise Seed Pods
• 5 Allspice Berries
• 5 Whole Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• 3 Inches of Ginger

Recipe

1. Quarter and collect the seeds from the pomegranate. Try your best to remove all the pith, but its ok if its not perfect. Place the seeds in a bowl and mash them with your hand for 30 seconds or so, like stomping grapes.
2. Peel the ginger
3. Grind the allspice berries. A mortar and pestle or coffee grinder (don't use the same one as your coffee) will do, but put them in a baggie and crush them with the flat of a blade or a hammer if that isn't an option
4. Place all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for at least two hours
5. Place a sieve on another pot and strain the punch to remove the spices, the seeds, and any pith.
6. Serve warm