The staff of 08108 loves to celebrate the holidays, and we are excited to share some of our traditions with our readers! We would love to hear all about yours, too. Share your traditions by visiting us on Instagram @08108_collingswood or by emailing 08108@newspapermediagroup.com.
Cinnamon-Citrus Glazed Ham
From Emeril’s Test Kitchen
A little over 10 years ago I was preparing to host my in-laws for a Christmas dinner and looking for a recipe that would differ from our Christmas Eve dinner which usually entails a roasted picnic pork shoulder. In my search, I came across a Cinnamon Citrus Glazed Ham from Emeril Lagasse (you remember “bam bam”). Since that Christmas, this ham has been the centerpiece of our Christmas dinner. The aroma of the ham fills the house beautifully, so much so that my niece once walked into the house on Christmas and said, “Oh, it smells like Christmas.” That is when you know you have created not only a Christmas tradition, but a Christmas memory. –Arlene Reyes, Publisher
Ingredients
One 7 to 8 pound fully cooked ham, bone-in, scored 1/4 inch deep in a diamond pattern
10 3-inch cinnamon sticks cut in half lengthwise into 20 pieces
4 Navel oranges, sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch slices (20 slices)
5 lemons, sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch slices (20 slices)
10 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 13-oz jar marmalade
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of cloves and nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 325º F.
While oven is preheating, prep your ham. Place the ham cut-side down in a deep oven-safe roasting pan or dish. Evenly insert the halved cinnamon sticks partway into the scored ham, and skewer one orange slice and one lemon slice onto each cinnamon stick, sliding snugly against the ham. Tuck the bay leaves around the ham, secured by the orange slices. Sprinkle the ham with black pepper. Put the ham into the preheated oven uncovered.
While the ham first begins cooking, prepare your glaze. Combine the marmalade, brown sugar, orange juice, water and spices in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reduces to a glaze and can coat the back of a spoon.
The ham should bake for approximately two hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 150º F. During the last hour of cooking, baste the ham with the prepared glaze.
Pumpkin Pie Cake
For as long as I can remember, my mom has been the baker of the family. Every family get-together there is at least one of her family favorite desserts, from chocolate chip cookies, banana cake, whoopie pies to her lemon meringue pie. The holiday season is no different, but instead of the standard pumpkin pie, she puts a twist on a traditional sweet and bakes a pumpkin pie cake. It is a fairly simple recipe and contains the similar flavors of a pumpkin pie, but with a little more crunch! –Brittany Rought, Sales Manager
Pumpkin Pie Cake
For the crust:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
½ cup butter, melted
For the filling:
1 large can pumpkin (3 cups)
3 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup evaporated milk
For the topping:
½ cup sugar
1 cup cake Mix
¼ cup butter
Nuts, chopped (pecans preferred)
Directions
For the crust, first reserve one cup of cake mix and set aside for the topping. Combine the rest of the mix with the egg and melted butter. Press into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
For the filling, mix all ingredients and pour over the crust.
For the topping, mix the sugar, reserved cake mix and butter to make crumbs. Top cake with this mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 350º F for one hour.
Coquito
Coquito is a creamy, coconut-based beverage that is a staple during Christmas in Puerto Rico. There has not been a Christmas I can remember without this creamy coconut drink; it is similar to eggnog. Just thinking of the cheering of my very large family when someone shows up with the coquito always warms my heart. They are always on my mind each time I make a batch. –Arlene Reyes, Publisher
Ingredients
20 Cinnamon Sticks
Handful of Cloves
1 Cup of Water
12 Egg Yolks
4 Cans of Evaporated Milk
4 Cans of Coconut Milk
3 Cans of Sweet Condensed Milk
2 Cream of Coconut
3 Tablespoon of Coconut Extract
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon & Nutmeg to taste
4 Cups of White Rum (optional)
Directions
Boil cup of water. Add cinnamon sticks and cloves while water is boiling.
Cook egg yolks and evaporated milk, stirring constantly, until it reaches 160º F or coats the back of the spoon.
Move to a large mixing bowl (so that the egg mixture does not continue to cook) and combine the remaining ingredients including the cinnamon-clove water.
Add additional spices to taste and rum (optional).
Pinecone Christmas Tree
I craft with my 6-year-old all year long, but we especially love to get creative during the winter holidays. We have a tradition of gifting relatives special ornaments each year, which we started making together when my son was old enough to help. When looking for something new to try, my son loves to scroll Pinterest with me for ideas. This year, inspired partly by the prolific amount of pinecones we find in our new backyard, we decided to fashion these pine tree castoffs into a new type of tree – a Christmas tree! -Kristen Dowd, Editor
Supplies
Pinecones (straighter is better)
Small paint brushes
Green, red and white paint
Craft glue
Empty paper towel, cut down to 1-inch pieces
Decorations (sequins, beads, glitter, ribbon, pom pom, colorful string, etc.)
Directions
Paint your pinecone green or white. Try your best to cover the pinecone, but do not paint too thick or leave globs of paint. Paint your paper towel roll pieces red. These are the tree bases. Let everything completely dry.
If crafting with a child, design diagrams of how they want to decorate the tree while waiting for the paint to dry. Show your child all of your decorations and let their imagination run wild!
If using ribbon or string, wrap that first around the pinecone. (Remember: The “bottom” of your tree is the bottom of the pinecone.) Using glue, add decorations to your tree – as many or as few as you want! Sprinkle glitter if desired. You can decorate your paper towel base, too. This is also a great place for your child to write his or her name if they would like.
It’s best to let everything dry overnight. Once dry, place your pinecone in the paper towel holder for display.
Editor’s note: Check back soon for a video how-to on Pinecone Christmas Trees!
