Bee-Sting Glazed Ham

I enjoy a standard glazed ham as much as the next person, but a friend shared this wonderful Bee-Sting Glaze recipe with me and I don’t think I’ll ever go back. As the name implies, this glaze offers a little “sting” thanks to honey and a touch of cayenne pepper. But fear not, the heat is gentle. Even guests who are opposed to spicy foods will enjoy this tasty ham recipe.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• microplane grater https://amzn.to/3UT4Scy

• honey https://amzn.to/3AVCUWJ

• disposable roasting pan https://amzn.to/3UUPjkN

Bee-Sting Glazed Ham

makes about 20 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 pound fully cooked, bone-in smoked half ham

• 1 cup honey

• 2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• zest of one lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and place rack in lower center position.

2. Place ham, cut side down, in a large roasting pan; score the fat side of the ham in a diamond pattern as shown in the photo above.

3. Pour 1/2 cup water around the ham and and cover the roasting pan well with foil; bake for 1 hour.

4. In a medium saucepan over medium, heat the honey, brown sugar, ginger, cayenne, cloves, and black pepper together, whisking frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved; remove from heat and allow to cool before stirring in the lemon zest.

5. Remove foil from ham and continue baking; brush generously with glaze every 10 minutes, for a total of 50-60 minutes (total cooking time should be about 2 hours).

6. If there is any leftover glaze, stir it into the strained pan drippings and serve with the ham.

Note

• For easy cleanup, use a disposable roasting pan. Be sure to place it on a half sheet pan so you can move it in and out of the oven easily without it collapsing.

Soft and Chewy Vanilla Sugar Cookies

A family member recently requested sugar cookies. It had been a long time since I enjoyed a good sugar cookie so I was happy to oblige. This recipe produces sugar cookies that are very soft, very chewy, and full of wonderful vanilla flavor. Since the cookies are so tender, it’s probably no surprise that the dough is not suitable for rolling and cutting with cookie cutters. Instead, use a #50 cookie scoop to portion equally-sized dollops of this lovely dough.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pure vanilla extract (be sure to use the good stuff)

• FLAT parchment paper sheets

• #50 cookie scoop

• commercial grade half sheet pans

---

Soft and Chewy Vanilla Sugar Cookies

makes 24 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

• less than 1 egg (you’ll need 30 grams or 1 tablespoon) *see notes below

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• extra granulated sugar for coating the dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F, place the oven rack in the center position, and line two half sheet pans with parchment paper or silpat liners (see notes below).

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together for 3 full minutes on high speed; stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer, but increase the creaming time to 5 minutes.

4. Turn mixer on medium speed and add egg and pure vanilla extract until fully emulsified (no traces of egg remain).

5. Turn mixer on low and add flour mixture just until no traces of dry flour remain.

6. Use a #50 scoop to portion the dough; roll each portion into a ball and coat with granulated sugar.

7. Place dough balls on lined sheet pans (12 per pan); use a glass (see notes below) to press dough balls to 1/2-inch thickness.

8. Bake one sheet pan at a time for 9-11 minutes; remove as soon as the edges are set and they start to turn a slight golden color.

9. Allow cookies to cool complete on sheet pan before transferring to an airtight container. Store at room temperature.

Notes

• For best results, bake only one sheet pan at a time.

• For this particular recipe, parchment paper gives slightly better results than silpat liners, but either will work (see photo below)..

• To measure egg, break into a cup or bowl and beat to combine the whites and yolks completely, then measure the amount needed for this recipe. Save the rest in an airtight container for tomorrow’s breakfast.

• Do not place cookie dough on hot or warm cookie sheets. Wait for the sheets to cool completely before using.

• If the cookie dough is too soft to handle, chill it for a few minutes before rolling.

• When pressing the dough, use a plastic cup or a glass wrapped with plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Alternatively, you can dip your glass in additional granulated sugar between presses.

• Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the edges are set and start to turn the slightest golden color; allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from sheet pan.

• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

• If your cookies spread too much during baking, chill pressed cookie dough for 10 minutes before baking.

• If using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer, increase the time you cream the butter and sugar together to 5 minutes.

adapted from A Spicy Perspective

Both cookies pictured above started off as exactly the same size ball of cookie dough. The cookie on the left was baked on a silpat liner (silicone), while the cookie on the right was baked on parchment paper.