Raisin Punch Recipes

Steps:

• To a punch bowl or pitcher, add the club soda, Aperol, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, bitters and orange slices. Stir to combine. Serve over ice.

Steps:

• Dissolve 1/2 cup honey in 1/2 cup boiling water. Let cool, then pour into a pitcher; add the juice of 2 lemons, 2 cups apricot nectar and 1 cup vodka, if desired. Chill. Add a bottle of sparkling apple juice to the pitcher. Serve over ice with lemon slices.

Steps:

• Welcome your guests with a cup of "blood": Stir one 64-ounce bottle cherry or cranberry-cherry juice, 1 liter ginger ale, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grenadine in a large punch bowl. Add 2 cups frozen cherries and 1 orange, cut into chunks. (To spike it, add 2 cups bourbon or rye and 3 dashes orange bitters. )

Steps:

• Make brioche dough the day before making pastry and chill.
• Just before making pastry cream, soak raisins in boiling-hot water until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain, pressing out excess liquid, and cool to room temperature.
• Make pastry cream:
• Bring milk to a simmer in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl and gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture begins to boil. Simmer, stirring, until thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a clean bowl and stir in vanilla and butter. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature.
• Make pastries:
• Roll out brioche dough on a well-floured surface into an 18- by 11-inch rectangle with a short side toward you. Spread pastry cream evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border at top edge. Sprinkle raisins evenly over cream. Roll up dough, starting from bottom, to make a log 11 inches long and about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Moisten top edge with water and press to seal closed.
• Transfer to a cutting board or baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
• Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Cut chilled log into 11 (1-inch-thick) rounds and arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 buttered baking sheets.
• Let pastries rise in a warm place, uncovered, 1 hour. (They will increase slightly in size and feel very tender to the touch.)
• While pastries are rising, preheat oven to 425°F.
• Bake in batches in middle of oven until tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pastries to a rack.
• Simmer preserves and water, stirring, 1 minute. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Brush glaze onto pastries.