Pink Champagne Party Punch

You don’t need a great big special occasion for this – why not invite a few girlfriends over on a sunny day and chat all afternoon over a bowl of Pink Champagne Party Punch? If you don’t have a punch bowl, get creative – use a big glass mixing bowl, a big glass vase, or anything else that catches your eye. Likewise, you can make decorative ice using an ice mold, a bundt cake pan, or just use a regular ice cube tray with pieces of fruit added to the individual ice cube compartments. There’s no need to be precious about it… this is supposed to be FUN, not complicated.

Ingredients (Makes about 3 liters)

1 cup of assorted fruit (small berries and thin slices of citrus fruit work well)

1 liter of cranberry-raspberry juice

1 liter of ginger ale

1 bottle (750 mL) of champagne or sparkling wine

small container of raspberry sherbet

Directions

Step 1) One day before serving, make your decorative ice. Place one layer of fruit in the bottom of your bundt pan, ice mold, or ice cube tray. Add 1/2 inch of water (that’s all!) and freeze. A few hours later, add another layer of fruit and another 1/2 inch of water. Once THAT freezes, you can add as much water (or juice) as you’d like. Keep frozen until serving time.

Step 2) Just before serving, remove ice from the freezer and set bottom in warm water for about 10 seconds… not too long! Just add an inch or so of warm water to the bottom of your kitchen sink. Then, carefully life out the ice and place it in your punch bowl.

Step 3) Add juice and soda to punch bowl. Top with a few tablespoons of raspberry sherbet. Finally, pour champagne over the top of everything and watch it FIZZ! Serve immediately.