Brown Sugar Christmas Ham

Christmas ham has got to be my signature festive dish. I make it every year. If this doesn't warm your cockles and make you want to watch Elf, you're as lost cause! I serve it with apple and gingerbread stuffing, and crispy roasties. I sometimes throw a bit of veg in there too... The best thing about ham? It's well easy. If you can watch a pan, you can make this. Fact.

Ingredients

• 1 large ham. Note: In the past I have spent a fortune on hams from the butcher and they were great. I have also bought them from Marks and Spencers or the supermarket. They were great too! I usually get one that's about 1.4 kilos (M&S usually have 1/3 off over Christmas). That's enough for four people plus some leftovers. God bless leftovers.
• 1 litre of apple juice
• 1 litre of cranberry juice
• A little warm water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• About 100g dark brown sugar for the glaze

Method

1. Wash your ham in warm water to remove excess salt. It's a myth that you have to soak them overnight. Maybe back in the dark ages, but modern meat production means this is no longer necessary.
2. Tie it up. Ham has a tendency to separate when cooked if left to its own devices. Do this by tying the string round the edge with the layer of fat and knotting it. Repeat so it has a parallel piece. Then wrap round the other way (see above). Failing this, just make sure it's tied up enough so it can't expand! This is the hardest bit done.
3. Pop it in a big stockpot or pan. It needs to have a bit of room to manoeuvre!
4. Pour in the fruit juices and top up with warm water if it doesn't cover the ham.
5. Add the cinnamon stick and cloves to the juice.
6. Simmer on a low heat - it should be gently bubbling.
7. It'll need cooking for 70 minutes per kilo. Balance the lid so that there is a gap between the lid and pan. You'll need to keep a bit of an eye on it. Just adjust the temperature if it starts bubbling too much or too little.
8. When it's done simmering, preheat the oven to it's maximum temperature.
9. Remove the ham from the cooking liquor and place in an ovenproof dish. Take off the string and trim off some of the fat if you want to.
10. Now the fun bit! Dump the sugar on top of the ham then rub it in. Yes, it's a lot of sugar. What's your point? Make sure most of it is on the ham rather than in the dish.
11. Now bung it in the middle of the hot oven for about 15 minutes. You're looking for little bubbles in the sugar. I turn it half way.
12. When it's out, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. 
13. Carve and pour over some of the sugary juices from the dish.
14. Stuff your face. Job done.

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Apple and Gingerbread Stuffing

I bloody love this time of year. All my favourite spices are out in force, and even savoury food has a sweet edge. Dishes are warming, filling and above all, comforting. There's nothing worse than soggy packet stuffing filled out with dried herbs and breadcrumbs. This is a recipe inspired by Nigella, the goddess of festive cookery.

I use Jamaica Ginger Cake in mine, mainly because I think it has the perfect texture for stuffing. It crumbles well but also has a sticky exterior. In my opinion, nothing compares! This bad boy is jam packed with flavour, texture and a little bit of joy! It can be used to stuff your bird, but I prefer to make it in a loaf tin then serve in chunks with festive ham.

Ingredients

• A knob of butter
• 1 tsp oil
• 250g finely diced onion
• 1 pink lady or gala apple - diced
• 350g unsmoked streaky bacon - cut into small pieces
• Zest of one medium orange
• 1 Jamaica Ginger Cake - crumbled
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 beaten egg

Method 

1. Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan and soften the onion and apple over a low heat for about 10 minutes (pop a lid on).
3. Add the bacon pieces and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and leave with the lid off for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the crumbled gingerbread, zest, pepper and spices and stir well. 
6. Stir in the egg. This is why it needs to be a bit cooler... no-one likes scrambled egg in their stuffing!
7. Pack the mix into the loaf tin and cook in the centre of the oven on gas 7/220 C for 40 minutes.
8. TIP: I make this in advance of the meal. It even freezes really well. Cut into cubes, pop it in an ovenproof dish and place it at the bottom of the oven when you are making roasties. It warms through and gets crispy on the edges...

Enjoy...

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Spiced Lemon Frosted Christmas Bundt

This is the cake I made for the Christmas Fair on Saturday. I decided on lemon because it's always the most popular at bake sales, but I added a little spice to warm things up and add a sniff of Christmas cheer! The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg somehow lift the lemon, making it perfect for the festive season.

This cake is ridiculously moist and the underneath goes dark and sticky without tasting bitter. Jenny sold this cake by the 'tree', but it can just as easily be made in a plain bundt or ring tin... I was just dying to use my holiday tree tin again! Enjoy x

Ingredients:

Cake

• 225g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 6 medium eggs
• 420g plain flour
• 1/2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 270g low fat plain yogurt 
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• Zest of 3 large lemons

'Snow'

• A bowl full of icing sugar (I probably used about 400g)
• Juice of 3 large lemons
• A little warm water

Method:

1. Grease and flour a regular sized bundt tin (2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch)
2. Soften the butter, then beat in the sugar in stages. There is a lot of sugar so be patient...
3. Beat in the eggs one by one on a nice slow speed.
4. Sift all the dry ingredients to a separate bowl.
5. Add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and extract to another bowl.
6. Alternate the yogurt and flour mixes into to the main mix, starting with flour. Fold it gently... you don't want it to resemble actual rubber...
7. Pour into a prepared bundt tin and bake on gas 4/180c for around 1 hour. Check the cake is done by inserting a skewer - it should come out with no wet mix attached and it should shrink away from the sides of the tin. This is essential if using a patterned tin like this.
8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out. 
9. When cool, mix the 'snow' ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Amounts are really tricky here, but you are looking for a runny glace icing.
10. Now. Grab the bull by the horns and tip the whole thing over the cake. That's right, the lot. If there are bits which remain uncovered, just tease the icing in place with a spoon or spatula. It doesn't have to be perfect... it's 'snow'... I finished mine with silver spray to give it a beautiful snow fallen sheen! If the thought of this gives you collywobbles, just dredge with icing sugar!

My bundt hints and tips

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