Easter morning calls for cinnamon rolls, and come brunch hour, some springy sips. But when it's time for the big meal (whether that be brunch or dinner in your home), there's nothing quite like an Easter ham. This recipe is actually super simple to make, and features a delicious maple-pear glaze that will add some subtle sweetness to your holiday weekend. If this is your first time making the ham, don't be intimidated! We've got you.
Easter Ham with Maple-Pear Glaze
Ingredients:
- 6-8 pound pre-cooked ham
- Maple pear glaze
For the Maple Pear Glaze:
- 8 pears
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large orange, juiced
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup water
Directions:
To make the glaze:
- Peel pears and remove inner core. Cut into thin slices.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add in butter. Let melt, then add in sliced pears. Simmer pears until they are starting to soften and brown slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add in maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
- Add in fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest along with the water and bring to a boil, then turn down slightly to maintain a strong simmer for about 20 minutes. The liquid will have reduced slightly and pears should be soft.
- Add the pear mixture to a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth. At this point, you can add back to the saucepan if needing to reduce further or use as is. Taste for any adjustments of salt or sweetness.
- Glaze entire ham prior to placing in oven.
To make the ham:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Remove packaging and foil from ham and place into a large roasting pan or baking dish.
- Pour the glaze on top of the ham and use a brush to slather on all sides. Place the ham cut-side down onto the pan. Cover with foil and place in the oven.
- Bake the ham for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the size. About halfway through, pour any remaining glaze and any pan drippings onto the ham, then cover again with the foil. The remaining 15 minutes of cook time, remove foil and let ham bake.
- Remove from the oven, slice and serve!
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Recipe and photos via Sarah Anderson.
