Make your holiday sparkle with David Burtka's spiced cranberry champagne punch

Morgan Hines, USA TODAY
·3 min read
David Burtka's Spiced Cranberry Champagne Punch.
David Burtka's Spiced Cranberry Champagne Punch.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Pop, fizz, clink!

Whether you've been naughty or nice, one fun way to ring in the holidays is with a glass of punch. Chef and actor David Burtka, who has quite literally written the book on entertaining, has the perfect recipe for you to make for any holiday guests.

"A punch is a really great easy way to do pre batching ahead of time and everyone can serve themselves," Burtka says.

Burtka's spiced cranberry champagne punch takes only 15 minutes to prepare — and it can be done well in advance of any soirée. In fact, you need to make it in advance as a portion of the recipe needs time to freeze.

The recipe "packs a punch", Burtka wrote in his book "Life Is a Party: Deliciously Doable Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration".

Holiday cheer without the buzz: 6 non-alcoholic cocktails for your seasonal spread

Yum: This Christmas cookie has been a family favorite for 60 years. Here's grandma's treasured recipe.

Spiced cranberry champagne punch

Ingredients:

  • 8 large lemons (about 3 pounds)

  • 1 pound frozen cranberries (about 4 cups)

  • 2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice

  • 10 cinnamon sticks

  • 2 star anise pods

  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves (about 28)

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle vodka (about 31/3 cups), chilled

  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle brut Champagne, chilled

  • Ice

Instructions:

  1. Thinly slice one of the lemons and divide the slices between two 16-ounce plastic containers (deli containers that you have hiding in your cupboard would work great here!). Put ½ cup of the frozen cranberries in each container and fill the containers three-quarters of the way with cold water. Cover with tight-fitting lids and freeze until solid, at least 8 hours (this can be done up to a month in advance of serving).

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of the frozen cranberries and the cranberry juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a very low simmer. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves and simmer until the cranberries have all popped open, about 10 minutes. Strain the juice mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl and discard the cranberries and spices. Immediately add the sugar to the hot juice and stir until completely dissolved. Let the cranberry syrup cool completely.

  3. Thinly slice one of the lemons and set it aside for the punch, then juice the remaining lemons (you should get about 1½ cups juice).

  4. Remove the giant cranberry and lemon ice cubes from the freezer and allow them to sit in their containers at room temperature for 5 minutes (this tempers the ice so it does not crack when it is added to the punch).

  5. In a large punch bowl, combine the lemon juice, half the cranberry syrup, the vodka, and the Champagne. Stir in the plain ice cubes, the remaining frozen cranberries, and the reserved lemon slices. Pop the giant cranberry and lemon ice cubes out of their containers and add them to the punch. Sweeten with additional cranberry syrup, if desired. (Any leftover cranberry syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

Excerpted from LIFE IS A PARTY: Deliciously Doable Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration. Copyright © 2019 by David Burtka, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

Check out these recipes to up your kitchen game: 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: David Burtka's champagne punch will make your holiday spread sparkle