Description
A delicious baked ham glazed with a sweet pineapple and brown sugar mixture, enhanced with warm spices and beautifully adorned with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries. Perfect for festive occasions or a comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Glaze Ingredients
- 20 oz canned pineapple slices (retain the juice)
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup brown sweetener or sugar (dark or light)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Ham and Garnish
- 10-12 pound fully cooked ham (bone-in and spiral cut preferred)
- maraschino cherries (optional)
- toothpicks
- foil
Instructions
- Prepare the ham: Allow the 10-12 pound fully cooked ham to come to room temperature, which usually takes about an hour. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Score the ham if necessary, though it is generally not needed for spiral-sliced hams.
- Make the glaze: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the brown sweetener or sugar, honey, all of the pineapple juice from the can, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the sweetener melts completely.
- Thicken the glaze: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add this slurry to the simmering glaze while stirring to avoid lumps. Continue stirring until the glaze thickens.
- Glaze the ham: Place the ham on a foil-lined sheet pan or roasting pan. Drizzle the glaze over the ham, using a cooking brush to spread it evenly and get glaze into the cuts of the ham.
- Garnish and cover: Secure the pineapple slices and maraschino cherries on the ham’s exterior with toothpicks. Tent the ham loosely with foil, making sure not to wrap it tightly to prevent the glaze from sticking to the foil and to keep the ham insulated.
- Bake the ham: Bake the ham in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and baste the ham again with more glaze.
- Finish baking: Return the ham uncovered to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes to let the glaze caramelize beautifully.
- Rest: Remove the ham from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- Bake a pre-cooked spiral-sliced, bone-in ham for 10 minutes per pound at 325°F.
- For smoked (pre-cooked) whole bone-in ham weighing 10-14 pounds, bake 15-18 minutes per pound.
- For a whole, bone-in fresh un-cooked ham 12-16 pounds, cook 22-26 minutes per pound.
- Boneless hams should be cooked for 10-15 minutes per pound.
- Discard the glaze packet that comes with the ham for better flavor control.
- Scoring is typically unnecessary for spiral-sliced ham.
- Flour can be substituted for cornstarch but may cause clumping; cornstarch is recommended.
- Full cloves can be used and inserted into the ham with toothpicks for added aroma.
- Bringing the ham to room temperature prior to baking prevents shocking the meat from cold to heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 150 g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
