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Show i i ' jLlySi:S , L y - : yj Willi till Easter marks the start of spring. As families gather to usher in this long-anticipated season, a sumptuous feast customarily tops off the celebration. With this family-pleasing family-pleasing menu featuring an easy-to-carve boneless ham and make-ahead accompaniments, hosting the holiday celebration can be as simple for the seasoned cook as for the first-timer. Ham has been a part of Easter celebrations on many early American farms where home-curing was a holiday ritual. Today, however, convenience is crucial to busy cooks who rely on the wide variety of hams that are readily available in the supermarket. Choosing the size of a boneless, bone-in or semi-boneless ham depends largely on how many guests will be seated around your table. A boneless ham yields about five 3-ounce servings per pound; a bone-in or semi-boneless ham will yield about 2-12 to 3 servings per pound. When selecting your holiday ham, you may want to plan for leftovers, as this versatile lean meat lends itself to many other convenient meal preparations. This holiday ham is glazed with a spiced Peach Chutney made from tart-sweet canned California cling peaches, onions and aromatic spices. The rich fruit glaze mingles with the flavorful ham as it roasts and fills the house with a tempting aroma. The Peach Chutney Glaze, which doubles as a condiment to be served at the table, can be made in advance, as the flavor and texture of cling peaches holds up beautifully when cooked. Cling peaches are picked when their flavor and nutrients are at their peak. Their juicy sweetness adds a refreshing note to the Spring Green Salad of assorted lettuce tossed with red bell pepper strips and a raspberry vinaigrette. Show-stopping Chocolate Layer Cheesecake fills all the requirements for a rich, elegant ending to a holiday dinner. The secret behind this make-ahead finale is the buttery pound cake crust beneath creamy cheese and chocolate layers. Moist and tender, the crust has the taste of an old-fashioned scratch recipe, but it's made with the convenience of a packaged mix. This is definitely a dessert worthy of a dazzling flourish on top, such as the first berries of the season. And for ardent chocolate fans, decadent Raspberry Fudge Bars showcase the endless possibilities of a pound cake mix. Whether made into this fudgy, layered bar cookie or simply baked into a traditional loaf and served with fresh fruit and ice cream, pound cake mix is a versatile baking staple. Embellish the meal with fresh asparagus or peas, baked yams and warm dinner rolls for an impressive, worry-free Easter feast. AT N ) - A -v : - o 1 i 1 " k i I ! I i I I X l T - i 1 1 ' : j asy faster feast Baked Ham with Peach Chutney Spring Green Salad Fresh Asparagus Baked Yams Warm Dinner Rolls Chocolate Layer Cheesecake Raspberry Fudge Bars Coffee recipes provided asp6erry (Judge, (Bars (not pictured) 2 tablespoons cold butter or 13 cup red raspberry jam margarine 13 cup milk 1 package (16 ounces) Dromedary 1 egg Pound Cake Mix 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate 12 cup chopped nuts morsels, melted In mixing bowl, cut butter into 1 cup of pound cake mix until evenly distributed. Mix in nuts; press evenly over bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake crust at 375F (or at 350F if using glass baking dish), 12 to 15 minutes, until edges are golden; cool. Gently spread with jam to within 14-inch of edges; set aside. In mixing bowl, beat remaining pound cake mix with milk and egg on low speed of electric stand mixer (medium speed if using electric hand mixer) for 4 minutes. Stir in melted chocolate; blend well. Gently spread evenly over jam layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars. Makes 2 dozen bars. (eacfi Chutney Gbze & Sauce 3 cans (16 ounces each) 1 tablespoon minced California cling peach candied ginger halves in juice or extra 1-12 teaspoons grated light syrup lemon peel 1 cup chopped onions 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 cup sugar 34 teaspoon ground 14 cup white wine vinegar cumin 2 cloves garlic, minced 12 teaspoon salt Drain peaches, reserving all liquid for other uses. Chop peaches into 14-inch pieces; combine with remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; simmer for 1 to 1-14 hours, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, like a soft jam. Makes about 3 cups. TO GLAZE HAM: Brush ham with 12 to 34 cup warm Peach Chutney Glaze for the last 20 minutes of roasting. Pass remaining chutney as a sauce. NOTE: Chutney may be made in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Warm chutney to soften before glazing ham. Hi -it .- -" -j 1 '! 1 -W r' 1 - .' . -1'' rf..t'"rji-- r.-L.- Spr'nj CjTeen Satad Raspberry Basil 4 to 5 quarts mixed salad Vinaigrette greens, torn into 2 cans (16 ounces each) bite-sized pieces California cling peach 1 large red bell pepper, cut slices in juice or extra into thin strips light syrup 1 cup crumbled feta cheese Prepare Raspberry Basil Vinaigrette; set aside. Drain peaches, reserving all liquid for other uses. In large salad bowl, lightly toss together salad greens, peaches, pepper strips and cheese. Toss with dressing before serving. Makes 8 servings. Raspberry Basil Vinaigrette Ml cup olive oil 1 teaspoon Dijon-style 3 tablespoons raspberry mustard or red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon dry basil leaves 14 teaspoon black pepper Whisk together all ingredients until well combined. r Chocolate Layer Cheesecake j 13 cup cold butter or margarine 3 eggs 1 package (16 ounces) Dromedary 23 cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate Pound Cake Mix morsels, melted 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream Strawberries and raspberries, cheese, softened for garnish 34 cup sugar Currant or apple jelly, 1-12 teaspoons vanilla extract melted In mixing bowl, cut butter into pound cake mix until evenly distributed. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly over bottom and halfway up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust at 350F for 20 minutes (crust will fall slightly during baking). Remove from oven. With back of spoon, press crust back into place along sides and bottom of pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Remove half of batter (about 2 cups) to separate bowl. Stir in melted chocolate; spread over crumb crust. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup crumb mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Top with remaining cheese mixture, spreading gently to cover. Return to oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until just set; cool. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Decorate with whole and sliced berries; brush with melted jelly. Makes 12 servings. F L- Roasting Timetables Type of Hain Approximate Weight in Pounds Approximate Cooking Times Place the ham, straight from the (Minutes per Pound) refrigerator, in a shallow roasting pan. Fully-cooked Smoked Boneless Ham By using a meat thermometer, there's portion 1-12 to 2 30 to 33 ) no guesswork. Simply insert the half 3 to 4 20 to 23 X thermometer so the tip does not touch wnole 6 to 8 17 t0 2 bone or fat. Add water or liquid as whoie 9 t0 11 13 10 16 J directed. Cover pan tightly with Fully-cooked Smoked Bone-in Ham aluminum foil. Roast in 325F oven. Do half 6 to 8 14 to 17 i not preheat oven except for hams 2 whole 14 to 16 12 to 14 ) pounds or under. Remove the ham from , . the oven when the thermometer registers Canned Ham M t0 2 23 J 2 135F; the temperature will continue to 5 2 j rise to 140F as it stands. Allow the ham Q 1C , l0 ... 0 15 to IS to stand 1U minutes tor easier carving. Add 12 cup water w roasting pan- Add juices from can to roasting pan; do not cover. 1..-.. -- - ' - - i- - -. -1 - r L - - " - , : - ' -' $ |