Ponche (Posada Punch)

Ingredients:

2 pounds seckel pears
4 oz. tamarind pods, peeled
six 6-inch pieces fresh sugarcane, peeled and halved lengthwise
5 guavas, peeled, seeded, and quartered
3 tart apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
12 prunes
2 tbsp. raisins
2 sticks cinnamon
2 cones piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar)

add your favorite white liquor (optional)

Instructions:

Put the pears and 15 cups water into a large pot and simmer over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and cut in half lengthwise, then set aside.

Add the tamarind and sugarcane to the same pot and simmer, without stirring, until the tamarind is soft and just begins to fall apart, about 30 minutes.

Add the reserved pears, guavas, apples, prunes, raisins, cinnamon, and piloncillo to the pot and simmer, gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.

Divide the sugarcane and fruit between 12 8-oz. heatproof glasses and ladle in some of the hot punch.

This punch is served at Christmas time, so if want to take it up a notch, add some of your favorite white liquors and serve over ice.

Recipe from Saveur Magazine, issue 55.