Lemon Crumb Muffins

I have been obsessed with lemons lately and I have had this recipe sitting on my counter "to do" for weeks now.  The lemons I had purchased were threatening to go bad so I knew it was now or never.  This is a recipe from Taste of Home, so you know these muffins are delicious (and loaded with butter). They are best served warm and their cake-like texture makes them perfect for breakfast, dessert or snaking.

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 40

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

8 eggs

2 cups sour cream

2 cups butter, melted

3 tbsp grated lemon peel

2 tbsp lemon juice

Topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, butter, lemon peel and juice.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.

In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.  In a small bowl, whisk glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm muffins.  Serve warm.

Apricot-Bourbon Glazed Ham

Nothing says Easter like a ham dinner.  Ham has not always been my favorite meat, but I've learned to appreciate it over the years.  You'll have plenty of leftovers which can be great for ham sandwiches or Ham Casserole. A packaged ham usually comes with the rind removed, however if you are buying a ham from a butcher, have the remove the rind for you. 

  

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 3 hours

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 bone-in fully cooked half ham (about 10 lbs), rind removed

1 1/2 cups apricot jam

1 1/2 cups Bourbon

1/4 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lower third.  Wrap ham in a large piece of parchment-lined foil and place, cut side down, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring jam and Bourbon to a rapid simmer over medium-high.  Cook until reduced about half, about 40 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice and pepper and cook 2 minutes.  Reserve 1 cup glaze for serving.

Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 425 degrees.  Unwrap ham, carefully flattening parchment-lined foil against sheet.  With a sharp knife, score fat with long cuts, 1/2 apart.  Bake 15 minutes.

Remove ham from oven and brush with some glaze.  Bake until ham is deep golden brown and in instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes, brushing ham with glaze every 15 minutes (wrap tip of bone in foil if it begins to over-brown). Transfer ham to a carving board, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes before carving.  Serve warm or at room temperature with reserved glaze.

Cheese and Chive Biscuits

This is another recipe that I found in my Everyday Food Magazine, but we decided that it needed more cheese and more butter (bad, I know...) to really enhance the cheddar flavor.  Use fresh chives to bring out the flavor in these biscuits, but dried chives can work in a pinch.  Excellent with our Easter ham dinner!  The leftovers would also be delicious as breakfast biscuits. 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooke time: 15 mins

Makes: 16

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 tsp fine salt

8-10 oz sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

4 tbsp chives

1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.  Add cheese, butter and chives and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.  Transfer dough into a large bowl and add cold buttermilk.  Mix together until just combined (do not over mix).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it just comes together.   With a floured rolling pin, roll out dough 3/4 inch thick.  With a  floured 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 16 rounds (re-roll and cut scraps).  Place biscuits, 1 1/2 inches apart, on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, 13-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly.  Serve warm or at room temperature.