SWEET YELLOW CORNBREAD

Maple Brown Sugar Orange Glazed Petit Jean Smoked Spiral Ham – An Easter Favorite
 
 
Thanks to #PetitJeanMeats for this recipe feature on their website.   Link:  ​https://petitjeanmeats.com/recipes/page/135/maple-brown-sugar-orange-glazed-
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Pat Downs – Sweet Yellow Cornbread
My family would gather each Sunday to have a Sunday meal together. I grew up the seventh child out of seven. My mama would cook the standard three meals a day for as long as I can remember. However, Sundays were always special. All the siblings would gather around the table and fight over those famous cathead biscuits. The challenge was to see who could grab the middle biscuit first.  I did not stand much of a chance, since I was much younger than the rest.  #petitjeanmeatsambassador #partner

Easter was a big celebration in our family. The table was always set with the ham to be the centerpiece of the table. We could not wait until it was time to eat. Afterwards, we would take our baskets and head to the Easter hunt. You can imagine growing up with six older siblings, how many eggs there were to find.
It was a tradition for us to boil and dye our own eggs. My mama loved to hard boil and dye eggs in all the colors. She would purchase a few of the plastic eggs to hide dollar bills in them. A few months later, we would always get a big stink of a surprise. You guessed it; we did not find all the eggs.  Mama and daddy would forget where they hid all the eggs. Such great memories we all must pass along stories to our children and grandchildren today.

Fast forward the clock and the tradition of the Easter Sunday ham still exists. I still enjoy making the ham the centerpiece of the table.  The aroma of the ham basting in the oven brings back all the memories I had as a youngster waiting for it to get done.

I always trust Petit Jean Meats to deliver the best quality smoked spiral ham for the center of my table.  Petit Jean Meats is located right here in my home state of Arkansas. Each of their Ozark Hickory Smoked Spiral hams are hand trimmed and seasoned and smoked in an old-fashioned smokehouse. The hams are smoked using hickory chips for at least 16 hours.  The smoky flavor is rich, moist, and tender. 

I love to create my own glaze recipes to baste my ham for warming up. An Easter favorite at my house is the Maple Brown Sugar Orange Glaze. This glaze is delicious and is easy to make.  The orange flavor combined with the sweetness of the maple brown sugar is divine. The ham sparkles as it sits on the table.
This year we had an early Easter Celebration with some friends. I chose the Petit Jean Spiral 7-9 pound ham.  This ham feeds around 15 people. 

​The smoky flavor combined with my glaze is a big hit.  I served it “charcuterie” style.   The ham was the centerpiece along with a beautiful spinach, apple smoked bacon salad filled with dried cranberries, and maple pecans.  I layered a variety of cheese on top that were cut with little pig cookie cutters.  Of course, I brought back the tradition of the “cathead” biscuits to the charcuterie platter.

 
Maple Brown Sugar Orange Glaze
Ingredients:
1 - 11 ounce can of Mandarin Oranges (You will use the juice)
1/2 cup of Maple Bourbon Syrup
1 cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Orange Juice (No Pulp)
1 Teaspoon of Organic Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade
2 Teaspoons of Corn Starch


Directions for Maple Brown Sugar Orange Glaze
In medium saucepan:

1. Pour in the juice from the 11 oz can of Mandarin Oranges – (you can save the oranges for eating later)
2. Add maple syrup to saucepan.
3. Whisk in corn starch, orange marmalade, and orange juice.
4. Whisk in 1 /2 of the cup of light brown sugar.   Reserving the other 1/2 cup for basting ham
5. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, whisking often.
6. Remove from heat and cool slightly before glazing ham.

How to Glaze Spiral Ham
The Petit Jean Meats Spiral Ham is fully cooked when you purchase it from petitjeanmeats.com
Therefore, you will just be reheating with the glaze to create a delicious holiday ham.
 
Instructions for Baking Ham:

• Preheat oven to 325°

 
·      Set your ham out on the counter to rest for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. 
·      Unwrap and drain ham. Place on a clean baking sheet.
·      Brush or rub 1/2 cup of reserved light brown sugar all over ham.
·      Pour and brush Orange Maple Glaze all over ham and in between slices. 
·      Cover with foil and bake about 10 minutes per pound until internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees.   (About 1 – 1.5 hours for the 7–9-pound ham.)
**Note:  Spiral hams should be double wrapped in foil prior to heating to retain moisture.

Visit petitjeanmeats.com to shop for all your favorite holiday meats

Thanks to #PetitJeanMeats for this recipe feature on their website.   Link:  ​https://petitjeanmeats.com/recipes/page/135/maple-brown-sugar-orange-glazed-

WOW!  Little Rock experienced record breaking intense snow falls over the last few days.   At my house, we received a total of 20.5 inches!   That's unbelievable!   It was beautiful!  I will sneak some photos at the bottom of this post.  I took the photos during the first snow round when we received a foot.   I didn't go back after the second round outside.   It was above my short legs to my knees.  I thought I had better stay inside.

Being stuck inside from the snow and the Pandemic is getting to be a little much!   However, it does let me experience baking with a variety of flours, butters, and other spices.   If you want rich flavors in your baking products, you do need to invest in some high quality flour, butter, organic cinnamons, vanillas, and caged free eggs.   They really do make the difference!   The rich butter is the key.   

I often use Vermont Creamery butter in cookies.    This wonderful butter makes really pretty and delicious cookies.  The cookies will last for several days if you keep them air tight.  

For these beautiful soft, warm & flaky cinnamon rolls, I used Kerry Gold Irish Butter.   I often use this butter for breads.  It is delicious!    I love it also as a topping.   It is a smooth butter.  I absolutely love it!

If you wonder why you follow the directions in making recipes, and yours doesn't come out the same look or taste, it is probably the butter and the flour.   WhiteLilly Flour is a lighter, softer flour.   I used a combination of all purpose and self-rising flour for these cinnamon rolls.   The result was ever so pleasing.

Remember to play with the dough.   Learn to experience if the dough is right by eyeing it.  Understand the feel of the dough, and the textures.   Sometimes, depending on the humidity, etc. the same amount can be a little different.  Sometimes you might need to add a little more flour, or a little more milk to your dough to get to the texture you need it to be.   This comes from practice & patience in baking!

Here are the base ingredients and guidelines for the cinnamon rolls:

Ingredients

Rolls

• 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or 2 cups of all purpose and I did 3/4 cup of self-rising WhiteLilly flour on this batch
• 1/4 cup  granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt - I use Pink Himalayan
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
• 1/2 cup whole milk ---- 
• 1/4 cup  water
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter --- splurge - by the Kerry Gold Irish 
• 1 large egg ---- brown caged free - Trust, me they bake better

Filling

• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar or packed light or dark brown sugar

Icing

• 1 cup  confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2–3 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the milk, water, and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the stove and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm to touch.  Pour into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir until it forms a soft dough or use your mixer.
3. On a lightly floured surface using floured hands, knead the dough for about 8 times. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely, and let rest for about 15 minutes.
4. Fill the rolls: After 15 minutes, roll the dough out in a large rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle it all over the dough. Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish.  I use a cast iron skillet.  
5. Rise: Tightly cover the rolls with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free environment for 60-90 minutes.   If you are baking them the next morning, I did place by a cool window with the cover loose.  They came out delish!
6. Bake the rolls: After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. If you notice the tops are getting too brown too quickly, loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and continue baking.
7. Make the icing: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls.
8. Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

You can do this!   Remember, if your dough seems too sticky to handle.  Gently add in a little more flour while kneading.   Make sure and flour your rolling pin on both sides to roll-out in your triangle.
I tend to add more cinnamon and sugar dry to the rectangle before rolling.   

​Here's my hidden secret:

Add cinnamon & sugar to the rectangle.  I add some of the brown sugar, sugar & butter mixture that you make for the filling and spread all over the rectangle.    Reserve some or make a little more.  After you roll them, I use my hands and top with more filling.   I also top with about 1/2 teaspoon of butter while they are resting.     When they start the bake, the butter will melt and your sugar mixture will drip over the rolls making a delicious glaze.





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RECORD BREAKING SNOW IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS PICS FROM 2-15-21-2-18-21

I love a good cookie!  If you follow me, you know this.   This little cookie was divine!  Actually, they are not little in size.   My dear friend, my fancy friend, Laura Monteverdi from KARK Channel 4 made these cookies.

Laura said this was the first time making cookies from scratch.   She was so excited!  They came out great and she was so proud.   I am calling them the "all in cookies" because they do have a little bit of everything in them.   Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate, Pecans, A pinch of cinnamon, cake flour, all purpose flour, vanilla, etc. etc.  You get the idea of the "all in."   The surprise was the hint of lemon juice.  The lemon juice isn't for taste in this cookie.  The lemon juice makes the middle of the cookie moist and delish!

They made quite the impression on my personal Facebook page.  I actually shared the recipe and how to make on that page the other day.  This is the page that Laura copied the recipe from and set how to make.  I had no idea that she was making them.    I loved when she succeeded and tagged me on her Instagram stories, and Facebook.

If this cookie is good enough for a prime time nightly journalist, then I am proud as can be.  She is a sweetheart.  I met her when she was a part of KTHV 11 The Vine show.

Give these a try:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of organic cinnamon (just a pinch really)
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• 1//2 cup sugar,
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 large brown caged free egg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla,
• 1 stick of Vermont creamery sea salt butter (a must) and you soften by sticking in microwave for 30 seconds
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips,
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees,  Line a large cookie sheet 

Take your 1 stick of Vermont Creamery Sea Salt Butter out of fridge and place in a bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.

• In mixer mix softened butter, vanilla, sugars and lemon juice together. While mixing fold in egg and continue to mix.
• Add in the 1/2 cup of cake flour while mixing. Add in your baking powder, baking soda, salt and pinch of cinnamon , fold in the all purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time while mixing.
• Continue to mix until dough forms. Then fold in your chips and pecans.
• Bake at preheat 350 on lined cookie sheet for approx. 15-18 minutes. Depending on your oven. Take out when outside is golden and let cool. I make mine large so it makes a dozen.   

BE SURE AND CHECK YOUR OVEN THE FIRST TIME YOU MAKE THEM.   YOU MIGHT CHECK AT 14 MINUTES.  ALL OVEN TEMPS VARY!   HUMIDITY PLAYS A PART, THE KIND OF BAKING PAN, WHERE YOU PLACE IN THE OVEN, ETC.  

AS SOON AS THEY START TO GET GOLDEN AROUND THE EDGES, THEN TAKE THEM OUT OF OVEN.   I ALSO ROTATE MY PAN THROUGHOUT THE BAKING PROCESS.   THIS LETS ALL THE COOKIES BAKE THE SAME.

The combination of the cake flour to all purpose flour results in a softer middle.   Keep these in an airtight container so that you can enjoy them for a few days.   

XOXO - Pat

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