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.

Lemon Bars

It’s a good thing citrus season falls in the middle of winter because right about now, I could use a little sunshine (and a good hit of Vitamin C). This recipe is extremely easy to make so if you need to put a little happy in your day, grab a bag of lemons and start baking.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 9x13 commercial cake pan https://amzn.to/3jpHFix

• citrus press https://amzn.to/40c5Z8p

• citrus juicer https://amzn.to/3DtGu8u

• pure vanilla extract (you deserve the good stuff) https://amzn.to/3wHFAS3

• non-melting confectioner’s sugar for humid climates https://amzn.to/40a73JT

• gluten-free flour https://amzn.to/3Jwrzyw

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Lemon Bars

makes one 9x13 cake pan

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust:

• 1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling:

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

• 6 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish:

• confectioner’s sugar (or non-melting conf. sugar) for dusting

Directions

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position,

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the crust ingredients until no traces of dry ingredients remain.

3. Press dough evenly into bottom of uncoated 9x13 aluminum cake pan.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then remove from oven and reserve while you make the filling.

To make the filling:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour until no lumps remain.

2. Add the remaining filling ingredients and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour filling over prebaked crust and return to oven for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is set.

4. Allow to cool completely in pan (chill if desired) before serving.

To serve:

1. Just before serving, sprinkle with a layer of confectioner’s sugar, then cut and serve. In humid climates, consider non-melting confectioner’s sugar. Bars are best served the day they’re baked as the shortbread crust will become chewy after that.

2. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can safely be kept at room temperature, but chilling keeps the filling firm and easy to handle.

Notes

• This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour. Substitute equally.

• Serve these bars the same day they are baked. You can still eat them a few days later, but the crust will absorb moisture from the lemon filling and become chewy.

• Wait until the bars are completely cool before dusting with confectioner’s sugar. If you live in a humid climate, you might prefer dusting with non-melting confectioner’s sugar.