Easter Dinner

Easter symbolizes many things to many people.  Springtime, fresh flowers, bunnies, newly hatched chicks and most importantly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Time with family celebrating the ultimate sacrifice that our Lord gave to us for the forgiveness of sins and promise of an everlasting life is a momentous occasion.  I have so many memories of Martha Miniature dresses and little boys in suits donning Easter baskets with eggs and chocolate bunnies running through my grandmother's backyard in search of the hidden eggs.  Each year I attempt to recreate those memories on one level or another.  This year it is my Mom's Bourbon glazed ham, Potato Gratin, Orange Scented Green Beans, Deviled Eggs, Cucumber Salad and Cold Oven Pound Cake.  With each bite, memories flood through my mind as I recollect my favorite moments of this blessed day.  Hope your Easter is as memorable and fulfilling as mine has been.

Mom's Bourbon Glazed Ham

6-7 lb. bone-in Butt portion Ham, fully cooked NOT spiral cut
1 lb. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground clove
1 tsp. allspice
3/4 c. bourbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim all but 1/4 inch fat from the ham, and score remaining fat in 3/4-inch diamonds, just deep enough to reach the meat without cutting into it. Line your roasting pan with a couple layers of foil to ease clean up.  Place ham, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, clove, allspice, and bourbon. Pack on the sugar mixture with your hands covering the ham completely.  Bake until ham reaches 140 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 2 hours.  Let rest for 30 minutes before serving.


Potato Gratin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 medium shallots, very thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold Potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange shallots in an even layer over bottom of baking dish. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Layer potatoes sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper and about 2 T. heavy cream.  Cover with foil; bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake until potatoes are tender and cream is thick, about 20 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Orange Scented Green Beans

Peel of 1 orange
2 pounds trimmed fresh green beans
2 tablespoons butter
Salt 

Pepper

Fill a pan with 2 inches water and bring to a boil. Add orange peel and beans. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, beans should remain bright green with a snap to them. Drain beans and return to pan. Remove peel. Toss with butter and salt then transfer to a serving dish.

Deviled Eggs

8 large eggs
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon minced shallot
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Paprika, for garnish

Place eggs in a medium saucepan; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Drain, and run eggs under cold water to cool them.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, shallot, and relish.

Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise; remove yolks, leaving whites intact. Transfer yolks to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth.

Mound yolk mixture into whites. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers
1 small red onion
1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar 

Peel and chop cucumbers.  Thinly slice red onion.  Mix vinegar, water and sugar in a bowl and add cucumbers and onion and let marinate for 2 hours before serving. 

Cold Oven Pound Cake

1 lb. (4 sticks) butter, softened

2 3/4 c. sugar

6 eggs

3 3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. milk

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

Beat butter and sugar on medium high for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Combine flour, salt and nutmeg in large bowl.  Add flour mixture alternating with milk, ending with flour until combined.  Add vanilla and almond extract.  Grease a bundt or tube pan and add cake batter.  Place in a cold oven and set temperature to 325 degrees.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes without opening oven.  When tester comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes then turn out on cake platter to cool completely before serving.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Just in time for those Easter Eggs.  Perfect every time.

Place eggs in a deep saucepan; cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 14 minutes. Transfer to an iced water bath; let cool completely.