Mulled Cranberry Wine Punch

PREP AND COOK TIME About 30 minutes NOTES For a nonalcoholic punch, replace red wine with apple juice and omit liqueur. MAKES 12 to 14 servings INGREDIENTS +1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries +1 bottle (48 oz., 6 cups) +cranberry juice cocktail +1/2 cup raisins +4 to 6 cinnamon sticks (about 3 in.) +2 bottles (750 ml.) fruity dry red wine such as Gamay Beaujolais, or 6 cups apple juice and 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste +1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar +1 teaspoon almond extract +About 3/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur such as Cointreau or triple sec (optional) DIRECTIONS 1. Sort cranberries, discarding bruised and decayed fruit. Rinse berries and put in a 5- to 6-quart pan; add cranberry juice cocktail, raisins, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer on low heat to blend flavors, about 20 minutes. 2. Add wine and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste. Heat until steaming, 5 to 8 minutes; do not boil. 3. Add almond extract and orange liqueur; keep punch warm over lowest heat and ladle into cups or stemmed glasses. DIETARY INFORMATION Per serving: 174 cal., 0.5% (0.9 cal.) from fat; 0.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat (0 g sat.); 26 g carbo (0.6 g fiber); 8.3 mg sodium; 0 mg chol. For more recipes from Sunset Magazine, you can link to their web site here: Copyright 2000 Sunset Publishing Corporation