Baked Honey-Glazed Ham

Smoked ham
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
Whole cloves
Unsweetened slices fresh or canned pineapple rings
Maraschino cherries
1 cup white wine
1 cup ginger ale

Preheat oven to 250°F or if pressed or time, 300°F. Remove the rind from the ham and most of the fat, leaving an even layer about 1/8-inch thick. Place the ham in a baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil (this will eliminate a nasty clean-up later). Score the fat on the ham (making a diamond pattern).

In a small bowl, combine prepared mustard, brown sugar, and honey. Rub the ham all over with the mustard-honey sauce, pressing sauce into the cut marks. Stick a whole clove in the center of each diamond. Using toothpicks, secure slices of pineapple to the ham. Then in the center of each pineapple ring, secure maraschino cherries with toothpicks.

NOTE: If preparing half a ham, cover the cut end with heavy-duty aluminum foil, secured with toothpicks, to keep the meat from drying out.

Bake the ham, fat side up, from 4 hours to all day. Baste every 30 minutes with equal parts wine and ginger ale, or ginger ale only. Later in the cooking, baste with pan juices. When done, remove from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let the ham stand for 30 minutes before carving.

Cut away the rind and excess fat. Then cut into slices, as thin as possible. Add accumulated carving juices to the remaining sauce and serve separately. Arrange the meat on a warmed serving platter.

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Pinot Noir Marinade

Pinot Noir Marinade (see recipe below)
3 racks of lamb (6 to 8 chops per rack), fat removed and frenched
2 tablespoons honey

*Trim fat from roast to expose 1 to 1 1/2-inches of bones and about 1/8-inch of fat on meat. An easier way is to ask your butcher to dress rack and trim all fat from the ribs.

Arrange racks of lamb in a single layer in a large baking dish. Pour Pinot Noir Marinade over the lamb; turning lamb to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, turning and basting often. NOTE: I like to use large resealable plastic bags for the marinating. One (1) lamb rack fits nicely into a large plastic bag. Divide the marinade between your bags of lamb racks. I also like to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator 1 hour before grilling to bring to room temperature. Remove lamb rack from marinade; reserving the marinade. Mix honey into marinade and set aside to use when serving the lamb.

When ready to grill, preheat barbecue grill to medium-high heat (350 degrees F). Sear the lamb racks on the hot grill, fat side down for 1 minute. Turn and sear the other side for 1 minute. Turn back onto fat side and cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, basting occasionally with the Pinot Noir Marinade. Turn and cook another 6 to 8 minutes, basting occasionally, or until a meat thermometer registers desired temperature (see below).

Rare - 120°F
Medium Rare - 125°F
Medium - 130°F

In a small saucepan, bring the reserved honey/marinade mixture to a boil; let boil until mixture is reduced by 1/2. Additional pinot noir wine may be needed - use your best judgment. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Remove from grill and transfer onto a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving. During this time the meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven).

When ready to serve, slice between racks into single-rib portions (hold the rack by the bones and in one slice, run the knife between the ribs) and serve on individual serving plates. Top the lamb with the reserved honey/marinade mixture.

Makes 6 servings.

Pinot Noir Marinade:
2 cups Pinot Noir wine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine pinot noir wine, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Swedish Chocolate Balls

Ingredients

1. Butter - 1/2 lb
2. Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
3. Desiccated, finely grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Oats - 4 cups
5. Coffee - 1/2 cup
6. Cocoa/Drinking Chocolate - 1 cup
7. Vanilla - 2 teaspoons

Time

About twenty minutes.

Method

Mix together butter, sugar, coconut, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, and oats. Blend very well. Keep in the refrigerator for about two hours. Roll into balls and cover with sugar. You're done.

Swedish Coffee Braids

Ingredients

1. Dry Yeast - 1 packet
2. Warm Water - 1/4 cup
3. Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Scalded Milk - 1 cup
5. Sugar - 1/2 cup
6. Salt - 1 teaspoon
7. Eggs - 2
8. Flour - 4 cups
9. Dry Fruits - as needed
10. Cinnamon - as needed
11. Butter - as needed

Time

About 2 hours

Method

Add the yeast and the sugar to the warm water and set aside. Add salt and sugar to the scalded milk, and let that cool. When it has cooled, add the yeast mixture and one beaten egg. Add the flour now until you have a smooth dough. Knead well. Then cover and leave aside. After the dough has risen double its original size, divide it into two and roll out each with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Brush with melted butter and add a filling of sugar, cinnamon, and finely chopped dry fruit. Fold the dough over this and press the ends shut. Do the same with the other dough. Place both rolls on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise again. Then brush both rolls with the second beaten egg and add more dried fruit. Finally bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.

Babka Wielkanocna Lukrowana (Easter Babka)

Ingredients

1. Dry Yeast - 1 packet
2. Cream - 1/2 cup
3. Sugar - 1/3 cup
4. Flour - 2 cups
5. Eggs - 3
6. Vanilla - 1 teaspoon
7. Almond Extract - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Grated Lemon Rind - 1 teaspoon
9. Melted Butter - 1 tablespoon
10. Raisins - 1/4 cup
11. Icing Sugar - 1/2 cup
12. Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon

Time

About 1 hour

Method

Mix yeast in cream, sugar, and flour, and set the dough aside to rise. Then add beaten eggs, Vanilla, Almond Extract, Grated Lemon Rind, and Melted Butter and knead until the dough is smooth. Add raisins and continue to knead. Then place in a grease, floured baking pan, cover, and leave to rise. When the dough has doubled in size, bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Mix icing sugar and lemon juice and brush over the Easter Baba when it's done.

Mazurek Cyganski

Ingredients

1. Egg Whites - 6
2. Egg Yolks - 6
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup
4. Vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Dry, chopped Figs - 1 cup
6. Dry, chopped Dates - 1 cup
7. Raisins - 1 cup
8. Grated Orange Rind - 1/2 cup
9. Grated Lemon Rind - 3 tablespoons
10. Crushed Walnuts - 2 cups
11. Corn Starch - 6 tablespoons

Time

About 1 hour

Method

Combine well Egg Whites with Sugar, then whip in the Egg Yolks, Vanilla, Figs, Dates, Raisins, Orange Rind, Lemon Rind, Walnuts, and Corn Starch. Place the mixture on a greased, floured cookie sheet and bake for half an hour at 350 degrees.

Easter Basket

Ingredients

1. Dry Yeast - 2 packets
2. Flour - 3 cups
3. Egg Yolks - 2
4. Warm Milk - 1 cup
5. Melted Butter - 4 tablespoons
6. Sugar - 1 teaspoon
7. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Time

About 1 hour

Method

Blend together Yeast, Flour, Warm Milk, Melted Butter, Sugar, and Salt, and mix well. Set the resulting dough aside to rise. Then take a portion of the dough and roll it flat and cut into 24 strips. Place 12 strips beside one another and weave the remaining 12 between them. Grease the outer surface of a baking bowl with butter and turn it upside down and place the woven strips over it. Snip off the ends and brush the strips with Egg Yolk. Bake for twenty minutes at 350 degrees, then cover the strips with aluminum foil, and continue baking for another half hour. Remove and cool and carefully remove the basket from the bowl. In the meantime, roll the remaining dough and cut three strips from it. Braid these, brush with egg yolk, and bake for 20 minutes. After this is done and cooled, attach it to the basket with tooth-picks.