SNOWMAN PUNCH

Snowman Punch image

This creamy and cool punch -- inspired by a Ramos gin fizz -- is a real knockout, complete with a snowman chilling out in drifts of bubbles. To make it ahead, you can assemble the snowman body in advance and pop it in the freezer, adding the scarf just before serving.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 1h45m

Yield about 20 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

8 cups (2 quarts) vanilla ice cream
2 cups (1 pint) orange sherbet
7 mini chocolate chips
1 orange jelly bean, cut in half lengthwise
1 sour candy belt, the ends snipped with scissors to resemble the fringe of a scarf
1 mini marshmallow
One 375-milliliter bottle gin, frozen
1/2 cup orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, chilled
Two 750-milliliter bottles dry sparkling wine, chilled
1 liter seltzer, chilled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Steps:

Chill a baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into the roundest balls you can make with an ice cream scoop and place on the chilled baking sheet. Scoop one ball of vanilla into a ball twice the size of the others. Scoop the orange sherbet into a ball half the size of the medium vanilla balls, leaving a bit of a ruffle around the bottom (this will become the snowman's hat). Reserve the remaining sherbet for another use. Freeze the balls until solid, about 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Chill a large punch bowl in the freezer until it is very cold, about 30 minutes.
Reserve 1 medium vanilla ice cream ball and pile the rest of the medium balls in the middle of the punch bowl.
To make the snowman, center the large vanilla ball on top of the snowball pile. Insert 5 chocolate chips in a line down one side of the large ball for buttons (press the pointy tops of the chips into the ball). Top the large ball with the reserved medium ball for the head and press in the 2 remaining chocolate chips for eyes. Add a jelly bean half for a nose. Wrap the candy belt around the neck for a scarf. Top with the orange sherbet ball for a hat. Add the mini marshmallow at the top for a pom-pom. You can assemble the snowman ahead of time and hold the punch bowl in the freezer up to 2 hours if you aren't immediately able to serve.
Add the liquids in this order: Gin, orange liqueur, sparkling wine and seltzer. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar for snow. Serve the punch in coupe cocktail glasses (see Cook's Note), scooping an ice cream ball and some punch into each.