Does anyone bob for apples anymore? Probably not. This Halloween we’re putting a ghoulish spin on the idea of floating apples: Shrunken Head Punch. Apples carved to look like faces float in a fruity punch, giving the appearance of shrunken heads bobbing in a bowl of blood. 

Ingredients

• 2 liters of cranberry juice
• 1 liter of pomegranate juice
• 1 liter of Sprite or Seagram’s Ginger Ale
• ½ cup of grenadine syrup
• ½ cup of fresh lemon juice, divided
• Ice cubes
• 6-8 small apples (firm, sour apple varieties work best)
• Sliced oranges or blood orange slices (for garnish, optional)
• gummy insects (for garnish, optional)

Instructions

• Peel the apples. Using a paring knife, carve jack-o’-lantern style faces on the apples. To ensure that the apples will float face up, you might want to put them into a bowl of water to see which side will be the top.
• Pour ¼ cup lemon juice into a small bowl. Dip the face side of the carved apples into the lemon juice. This step will keep the “shrunken heads” from browning quite so quickly. 
• Put the “shrunken heads” in the freezer for an hour or two. They will then both decorate the punch and keep it cold
• In a large punch bowl, combine the cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and the remaining fresh lemon juice. Stir well to mix the flavors.
• Slowly pour in the Sprite or Seagram’s Ginger Ale to add fizz to the punch. Stir gently to combine.
• Drizzle the grenadine syrup over the back of a spoon into the punch. This will create an even deeper red, blood-like layer at the bottom of the bowl.
• Add the frozen apple “shrunken heads” to the punch.
• Optionally, garnish the punch with sliced oranges or blood orange slices for a citrusy touch and a contrasting color. Adding a gummy insect to one or two of the apples will amp up the creepy factor.
• Serve your Blood Red Fruit Punch in cups or glasses, making sure to mix the grenadine layer into each serving to create the “blood” effect.
• Anyone brave enough and who doesn’t mind staining their face red can try bobbing for the “shrunken heads” after everyone has been served some punch.