Hard boiled multi-colored eggs are probably the first food that comes to mind when you think of Easter, but the Easter Sunday meal is a different story. Many foods have a long history and tradition when it comes to the Easter celebration.
Eating of eggs, for example, was prohibited in the early incarnations of the Christian church during Lent. The return of eggs to the diet marked a special occasion, thereby making them desired food for the celebration of Easter.
In the United States, ham is a traditional Easter food. In the early days, meat was slaughtered in the fall. There was no refrigeration, and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter before Lent was cured for spring. The curing process took a while, and the time they were ready coincided with Easter, making them a natural choice for the celebratory meal.
Hot Cross Buns date back to the pre-Christian era when small cakes were offered to Eastre, a goddess in Germanic paganism who is the namesake of the festival of Easter. Presumably the cross markings signified the four quarters of the moon. Later, the cross came to symbolize the crucifixion of Jesus. Traditionally, hot cross buns baked on Good Friday were said to have magic powers.
Instead of pineapple, treat your family to a ginger-peach glaze. It’s not too sweet and has a terrific combination of flavors.
Ginger Peach Glazed Ham
Ham:
2 1/2 cups kosher salt
2 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons juniper berries, crushed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, crushed
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 (8- to 10-pound) skin-on, bone-in fresh ham, shank end (keep cold)
Glaze:
1 cup peach preserves
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons ground ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Prepare the ham: Combine 3 gallons hot water, salt, brown sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, ginger and bay leaves in a large nonreactive container and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve; cool. Meanwhile, score the skin of the ham with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern. Place in brine, cover and refrigerate 24 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 450F. Remove ham from brine and dry completely. Strain brine, reserving spices. Press some of the juniper berries and peppercorns onto the flat cut side of the ham. Scatter the bay leaves in a large roasting pan and place a rack in the pan. Stand the ham, cut-side down, on the rack and roast 1 hour. Reduce oven to 325 and roast 2 more hours.
Make the glaze: Whisk preserves, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, ginger, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Brush ham with half the glaze; continue roasting until deep golden, about 1 more hour. Brush ham with remaining glaze, turn on side and roast until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 155 and the skin is crisp, 30 to 45 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 20 minutes before carving.
Skim the fat from the roasting pan juices and discard bay leaves. Stir to make a sauce. Carve the ham and serve with the sauce.
Old Fashioned Hot Cross Buns
(Be ready for a project)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons (2 1/4-ounce packages) active dry yeast
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus as needed
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (13 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup currants, plumped in the microwave and cooled
1 egg beaten, for brushing
For the icing/glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon finely gated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until about 100F (but no more than 110 degrees). Remove from heat and sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar and flour over the surface of the liquid. Set aside without stirring, until foamy and rising up the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
Whisk butter, egg yolk and vanilla into yeast mixture.
Whisk flour, remaining sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick, shaggy and slightly sticky dough. Stir in currants. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.
Brush inside of a large bowl with butter. Add dough, turning to coat lightly with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. (If you have a marker, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time to help you keep track.)
Form the rolls: Butter a 9- by 14-inch baking pan. Turn out dough and pat into a rectangle about 16 by 8 inches. Divide dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 ounces each. (If you don’t have a scale, divide the dough in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Cut each of those four sections into three equal-sized rolls.)
Tuck edges under to make round rolls and place seam-side down in prepared pan, leaving a little space between rolls. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until rolls rise almost to the rim of the pan and have more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375F.
Remove plastic wrap and brush tops of buns with beaten egg. Bake until golden brown and puffy, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 190 F, about 25 minutes.
For the glaze: Stir confectioners’ sugar, milk, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a zip or pastry bag, and make a small cut in one corner. Ice a thick cross shape over the top of the warm buns.
Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.