Fire Punch Recipes

Steps:

• Wash the oranges and lemons thouroughly, pat dry and cut into slices or wedges.
• In a large pot add red wine, oranges, lemons, cinnamon and cloves. Heat up slowly, but let not boil.
• Move pot from heat and place it on a heating surface, stove or flame (which you can place on the table, like the one you use for Fondue). Add ginger.
• Place the sugar loaf above the red wine mixture (about 1 inch above the surface). You can use a special "fire tongs", which is made for this purpose. You can also a kind of wire netting to place the sugar loaf on.
• Soak the sugar loaf with rum and light up the alcohol. The sugar will melt and drip into the wine. Add rum (little by little) to keep the fire burning until the sugar loaf is used up.
• After the sugar loaf is used up stir gently and serve. If you like you can also use the orange or lemon wedges too.
• NOTE on red wine: use a dry red wine. It should not be too light.
• NOTE on equipment: there is a special equipment used in Germany, especially the fire tongs. You can make your own. It is important that the sugar can drop into the wine and that the sugar loaf can not fall down or that the hot (melted) sugar can drop outside the pot.
• NOTE on how to light the rum: I put the rum into a small scoop and light it "outside" the Feuerzangenbowle and then pour it over the sugar loaf very carefully.
• SAFETY: be very careful, you are handling with alcohol and fire. Take the necessary precautions.

Steps:

• Cut oranges in half and juice.
• Pour red wine in a large pot. Add the orange juice through a sieve to get rid of pulp.
• Add cider, cloves and half the cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer, but do not boil.
• Cut apple in ⅓ - ½ inch (1 cm) slices, leaving the peel on and the star in the middle intact. Put the center slices with a star aside and add the rest of the ends to the punch.
• To serve, pour punch in a heat resistant glass.
• Take the center slices with the inner star shape and clean the holes of the seeds and tough lining, making sure to keep the star shape intact.
• Carefully place the apple slice on the punch, so it floats on top.
• Pour a little bit of the rum in a glass, heat-safe dish. Have another glass nearby to hold the spoon you will use to move the sugar to the apple.
• Soak sugar cube in rum and place it over the star in the glass.
• Carefully, with a lighter, set sugar cube on fire until you see the sugar bubbling and a blue flame.
• If necessary, carefully add small amounts of rum on the sugar cube with a spoon to keep it burning until the sugar is melted.
• Stir with a cinnamon stick and enjoy immediately while it is still hot. If not sweet enough, repeat sugar cube flaming step or add more sugar to the hot drink.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• In 1-quart saucepan, cook cinnamon candies and 1 cup of the water over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until candies are melted; remove from heat. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large punch bowl, stir candy mixture, remaining 3 cups water, the lemonade and orange juice concentrates until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, gently stir in ginger ale. Garnish with orange slices.