CHRISTMAS PONCHE

The Authentic Ponche Navideño: A Taste of Mexican Tradition

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 6 quarts water, divided
• 2 cups tejocotes
• 6 guayabas
• 8–10 pieces sugar cane
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 piloncillo
• 1 cup pears, chopped
• 1 cup apples, chopped
• 3/4 cup prunes
• 1/2 cup tamarind

Preparation:

1. Cook the hibiscus in one liter of water, strain it, and set it aside.
2. In a pot, heat 3 liters of water, and once it begins to boil, add the piloncillo and let it start to dissolve.
3. Add the cinnamon sticks, sugar cane, tamarind, and a little of the boiled and strained hibiscus. Stir until the piloncillo is fully incorporated with the other ingredients.
4. Gradually add the fruits — pear, apple, guava, and tejocotes.
5. Let the mixture boil for about 40 minutes so all the flavors blend together.
6. Enjoy warm and discover the flavors of the season.