Sunday - Easter Dinner

Pineapple Glazed Ham
1 pound cooked ham
For Glaze:
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

In a medium saucepan combine glaze ingrediants. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Makes 1 1/4 cups glaze.

We just slice the ham and put it in the frying pan and cook it that way. It's super fast and still yummy. Then we just pour the glaze on top.

Roasted Asparagus
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed and discarded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, until tender.

Crescent Rolls
¾ cup skim milk
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut up
¼ cup sugar
3 large eggs
4 1/2 cups flour plus extra for work surface
1 tsp. rapid-rise or instant yeast
1 ½ tsp. salt

Microwave the milk, butter, and sugar in a 4-cup microwave-safe measuring cup until the butter is mostly melted and the mixture is warm, about 1 ½ minutes. (Or heat gently in a small saucepan over medium high heat.) Whisk to dissolve the sugar.

Beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl; add about one-third of the warm milk to the eggs, whisking to combine. When the bottom of the bowl feels warm, add the remaining milk mixture, whisking to combine.

Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on lowest speed to blend; about 15 seconds. With the mixer running, add the milk and egg mixture in a steady stream; mix on low speed until a loose, shiny dough forms (you may also see satiny webs as the dough moves in the bowl), about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat 1 minutes; add the salt slowly and continue beating until stronger webs form, about 3 minutes longer. (Note: The dough will remain loose rather than forming a neat, cohesive mass.) I don't have a mixer and just did all this by hand. I just added the milk and egg mixture little by little stirring after each addition and it worked fine.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough doubles in bulk and the surface feels tacky, about 2 hours. Sprinkle the dough with flour to prevent sticking and punch down. Turn the dough onto the floured work surface.

Grease a rimmed baking sheet. Roll the dough into a 20 by 13” rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut into triangles. Starting at the wide end, gently roll up each crescent, ending with the pointed tip on the bottom. Arrange rolls in four rows on baking sheet; wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Remove the baking sheet with the chilled rolls from the fridge and unwrap. Let rise until the crescents feel slightly tacky and soft and have lost their chill, 45 to 60 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

These rolls sound pretty labor intensive with all the chilling and stuff but it wasn't bad. Just have to plan a little bit ahead. I made them in the morning and had them chill while we went to church. Took them out when we got home and they were ready to cook by dinner time. They are so yummy!! I love love bread and wow! These are flaky and moist and yummy. My new favorite recipe for rolls!

Here's the recipe for Raspberry Honey Butter that we like to put on our rolls. Yummy too!

Raspberry Honey Butter - an approximation of ingredients. I just eyeball it every time.
1/2 stick of butter
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp seedless raspberry preserves

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add honey and raspberry preserves. Beat until completely mixed.