Where did November go. I always go into a slight panic mode when November is over. So much to do before Christmas. But for my American family and friends, I thought I’d take a breath, get my laptop ready for “cyber Monday” and share this recipe with you. This one’s really easy and I served it on our Thanksgiving in October. That was a special thanksgiving for us as my brother and sister-in-law had come down from the US. I like doing a ham, it’s festive for any occasion and so versatile, all you need to do is vary the glaze. This time, I used some Maple Syrup my son picked up when in la Belle Province, a few weeks back. Yes I know we can get it here, but as he went through the smaller towns, he saw this and knew it would come in handy for something. When Thanksgiving rolled around, I made this ham. Really simple but so delicious.
I bought a spiral cut hams, you know the kind. I’ve walked by it for several years turning up my nose at the thought of a pre-cut, let alone pre-cooked, ham. But this time, I thought I’d try it out. It comes with a glaze – which I promptly discarded, no offence to the company, but I tasted it and found it too sweet. If you are going to buy a pre-cooked ham, at least make the glaze from scratch. Not too much to this glaze really, but back to the ham for the moment. When this spiral ham bakes, something marvellous happens to it. The layers of cut ham separate beautifully at the edges allowing you to actually apply the glaze between the slices. I find this incredibly wonderful as you can actually bake the entire ham knowing your marinade/glaze is flavoring every part of the ham.
You will also find a recipe for a simple Baileys Pumpkin Spice Latte Tiramisu on my site, so check it out. The maple glazed ham was a big hit, leftovers went in soup, turkey pie, breakfast, and assorted other applications. And the Baileys PSL Tiramisu – it has Baileys in it… could life get any better!
Maple Glazed Ham
1 spiral ham, cooked as per instructions
Glaze
1 cup good quality maple syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp cayenne or some other hot chili powder
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat
Add the maple syrup – whisking constantly
Add the cinnamon, black pepper and chili powder
Allow to come to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat – taste, adjust the seasoning if needed and taste again
About 20 minutes before the ham is heated through, remove from the oven and pour the glaze over
Using a palette knife, separate the layers – one by one, and with a pastry brush, brush the glaze in between the slices
Return to the oven and finish baking
When done, remove the ham to a platter and tent with foil
Reduce the glaze in the pan by boiling, when thickened – pour on top of the ham, slice to allow pieces to be easily taken
Serve with additional sauce on the side
Enjoy!
