Party Recipes

[Esther]

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Doing this one on Friday for our Christmas Banquet. We've decided to cater it ourselves! Will probably buy a bigger ham or two small ones

Baked Ham with Mustard-Peach Glaze

1 (8-lb) fully cooked shank portion smoked-ham
1 cup peach preserves
1 (7.3-oz) jar coarse-grained Dijon mustard
2 cups peach nectar, divided

Remove and discard skin from ham. Using a boning knife, score fat on ham 1/8" deep in a diamond pattern. Place ham, fat side up, on a lightly greased rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer, making sure it does not touch fat or bone.

Stir together preserves, mustard and 1 cup peach nectar in a large bowl; pour over ham.

Bake ham, uncovered, at 350 for 2 hours and 20 minutes or until thermometer registers 140, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes.

Transfer ham to a serving platter. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Pour pan drippings into a large saucepan. Add remaining 1 cup peach nectar; bring to a boil. Serve sauce with ham.

[Esther]

Pressing On

Cheddar and Green Onion Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1 cup (4 oz) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Stir in cheese and green onions. Make a well in center of mixture.

Whisk together egg, milk and butter; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pan, filling 3/4 full.

Bake at 375 for 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately.

Yield: 1 dozen

[Esther]

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Red Velvet Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 or 2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnish: chopped pecans

Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Stir in food coloring and vanilla, blending well.

Combine flour, salt, and cocoa; set aside.

Combine buttermilk, vinegar, and soda in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. (Mixture will bubble.)

Add flour mixture to shortening mixture, alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes; pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top of cake. Garnish with chopped pecans, if desired.

Sheet Cake: Pour batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Spread cream cheese frosting on top of cake. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 1 (13- x 9-inch) cake.

Petit Fours: Pour half of batter into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan; chill remaining batter. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until center of cake springs back when lightly touched (do not overbake). Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining batter. Reserve 1/2 cup Cream Cheese Frosting. Place 1 cake layer on a large cutting board or baking sheet; spread with remaining 3 cups frosting. Top with remaining cake layer; cover and chill. Using round cutter or knife, cut into 1 1/2 inch circles or squares. Pipe or dollop reserved 1/2 cup frosting on tops of cakes. Garnish with pecan halves, if desired. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; add vanilla, beating until blended.

[Esther]

Pressing On




Walnut Balls

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened (no substitutions)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 bag (8 ounces) walnuts, chopped
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325° F. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and salt just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. Stir in walnuts.

2. Shape dough by rounded measuring teaspoons into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 13 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

3. Place confectioners' sugar in pie plate. While cookies are hot, with metal spatula, transfer 4 or 5 cookies at a time to pie plate with confectioners' sugar. Gently turn cookies with fork to generously coat with sugar. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

4. Repeat with remaining dough and confectioners' sugar. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar before serving if you like.

[Esther]

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Cranberry Trifle

INGREDIENTS:
2 navel oranges
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger (3/4 ounce)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 package instant vanilla pudding and pie filling for 4 servings
2 cups milk
1 frozen pound cake (16 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch cubes


DIRECTIONS:
1. From oranges, grate 1 teaspoon peel and place in 4-quart saucepan. With knife, remove all remaining peel and white pith from oranges. Holding 1 orange at a time over same saucepan, to catch juice, cut sections from between membranes and add to saucepan, then squeeze juice from membranes into saucepan; discard membranes.

2. Set aside a few cranberries for garnish. In same saucepan, stir remaining cranberries with water, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and cook 15 to 17 minutes or until cranberries pop and sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, in bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream until soft peaks form. In large bowl, with whisk, prepare pudding with milk as label directs. Immediately fold whipped cream into pudding until blended.

4. In 3-quart glass trifle bowl or other serving bowl, place one-third of cake. Spoon one-third cranberry mixture (about 1 cup) over cake, spreading to side of bowl. Top with one-third of pudding (about 1 1/4 cups). Repeat layering 2 more times. Garnish with reserved cranberries.

5. Cover trifle and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.