Easy Easter Menu 2015 ♥

The American Easter is this coming Sunday here are some recipes so you can plan ahead!  Every year I post a Russian Easter menu, stay tuned this is coming, but here by request is an American Easter menu that's so easy! ♥

 Old Fashioned Ham ♥

Ingredients ♥

3/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 (14-pound) cooked and smoked cured ham, shank end

3/4 cup pineapple juice

20 canned pineapple rings

1/2 cup maraschino cherries

Directions ♥

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put oven rack in the middle of the oven.

In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and thyme.

Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Rub the ham with mustard glaze. Pour the pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan. Put the ham in the oven and bake for 2 hours, brushing every 20 minutes with the pineapple juice. Remove the ham from the oven.

Turn oven to 400 degrees F.

Using toothpicks, decoratively adhere the pineapple rings around the ham and put a cherry in the center of the pineapple ring. Sprinkle the pineapple rings lightly with brown sugar. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake until the pineapples turn a light golden brown. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

 Skinny Hot Cross Buns ♥

Hot Cross Buns! Hot Cross Buns! One a penny, two a penny… Remember the childhood rhyme? 

(makes 24 buns)

Ingredients ♥

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dried currants

1/4 cup warm orange juice

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 cup whole-grain pastry flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. grated whole nutmeg

1 package quick-rise yeast

1 cup warm fat-free milk

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup unsalted light butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp water

1 large egg white

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp fat-free milk

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions ♥

To prepare rolls, combine raisins, currants and orange juice in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Drain fruit in a colander over a bowl, reserving fruit and juice. Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup of warm water and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Lightly spoon 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and your 1 cup of pastry flour into dry measuring cups. Combine flours, salt, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached; mix until combined. Combine reserved orange juice, milk, honey, butter and eggs in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. With mixer on, slowly add in milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix at medium-low speed for about 7 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and add reserved fruit.

Knead dough for about 2 minutes until smooth and elastic; add enough of the remaining 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent sticking. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down, cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 24 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball and place rolls in muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white and stir with a whisk. Gently brush rolls with egg white mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown, rotating pans once during baking. Remove from pans and cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 tsp. lemon juice, stirring well with a whisk. Microwave on high 20 seconds or until warm. Spoon glaze into a sealed zip-lock baggy and snip a tiny hole in one corner of the bag. Pipe a cross on top of each warm roll. Enjoy! ♥

Side Dishes ♥

Click on the highlighted recipes below and it will take you to my recipe! 

 Italian Roasted Brussel Sprouts  

Grandma Katrina's Deviled Eggs 

Mimosas

Ingredients ♥

     Sparkling Wine, Cava, Moet, Prosecco or Champagne (1 bottle)

     Orange Juice (1 carton)

     Triple Sec (optional)

Preparation ♥

Fill half of a champagne flute with chilled sparkling wine or Champagne (about an ounce) and top off with chilled orange juice (again about 2 ounces), gently stir. If you'd like to add triple sec, just a splash to taste works out fine. For added flare, slice up a strawberry to decorate the rim of each flute. Enjoy!

* Also delightful over ice in a larger white wine glass as I did above!

Stay tuned for my Russian Easter post coming soon! .....♥

Have a blessed Easter!