WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MARCH 29, 2018 17
EASTER
An Easy, Excellent Easter
Amazing food is the centerpiece
of most holiday gatherings.
This Easter, impress guests
with your culinary talent by making
simple dishes simply amazing. With a
little special attention, even the most
basic foods can evolve into dishes
worth sharing with loved ones.
Most chefs agree that spices and
seasonings are essential elements of
your kitchen arsenal. This Easter, give
your spread a boost with spices and
herbs of the highest quality, such as
those from Spice Islands, which craft s
and packages spices and herbs from
around the world to deliver the most
authentic and intense fl avor possible.
Update your traditional ham with
a spicy, honeyed glaze; give a side
serving of carrots a tasty twist and
end the aff air on a sweet note with a
rustic, utterly delicious dessert. Find
more fl avorful ideas to elevate your
Easter menu at spiceislands.com.
SPICED HONEY AND BLACK
PEPPER-GLAZED HAM
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
• 8-10 pounds cooked shank-end ham
• water (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Spice Islands Cracked
Black Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Spice Islands Ground
Mustard
• 1 tablespoon Spice Islands Garlic
Powder
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Spice Islands Ground
Saigon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground
Cloves
Heat oven to 325 F.
With sharp knife, score ham at
1-inch intervals; place in baking dish.
If ham appears dry, moisten surface
with water. In small bowl, combine
black pepper, mustard and garlic
powder. Rub pepper mixture over
surface of ham. Roast according to
package directions.
Combine honey, cinnamon and
cloves. Drizzle over ham during last
30 minutes of roasting. Remove ham
from oven and let rest 20 minutes
before slicing.
SPICED MAPLE CARROTS
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
• 1 pound (4 cups) baby carrots
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground
Saigon Cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon Spice Islands Ground
Ginger
• 2 tablespoons Maple Grove Farms
100% Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• sea salt, to taste
In large skillet, combine carrots,
water, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well.
Cover and cook on high 6 minutes until
almost tender.
Add maple syrup and butter. Mix
well and continue to cook, uncovered,
2-3 minutes, until carrots are wellglazed.
Season, to taste, with sea salt.
ANISE, PEAR AND
ALMOND CROSTATA
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Servings: 6
CROSTATA CRUST:
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose fl our
• 1 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
and frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands Fine
Mediterranean Sea Salt
• 1/4 cup ice water
ANISE ALMOND FILLING:
• 1 cup blanched, slivered almonds
• 3/4 teaspoon Spice Islands Anise
Seeds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands Vanilla
Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Spice Islands Fine
Mediterranean Sea Salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room
temperature
• 3 Fiorelle or small pears, sliced into
thin wedges
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for
sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons Polaner Apricot Preserves,
heated
• cream or ice cream (optional)
To make crust: In food processor,
combine fl our, frozen butter and salt.
Pulse until dough is size of large peas.
Add 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse
several times. Pinch dough to see if it
is holding together; if not, add water a
couple of teaspoons at a time, pulsing
once or twice aft er each addition, until
dough holds together. Form dough into
disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30
minutes.
Heat oven to 400 F.
To make fi lling: In food processor,
blend almonds, anise seeds, sugar, egg,
vanilla and salt until paste forms. Add
room temperature butter and blend
again. Set aside.
Toss sliced pears with 2 tablespoons
sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.
On sheet of fl oured parchment paper,
roll out dough into 13-inch circle;
transfer on parchment to rimless
cookie sheet.
Spread almond paste onto circle,
leaving 2-inch border. Scatter pears
on top, covering almond paste. Fold
dough up and over pears, overlapping
dough as needed. Brush with egg wash
and sprinkle crust generously with
extra sugar.
Bake until pears are tender, 40-45
minutes. If crust starts to get too
brown, lightly cover with foil. Remove
tart from oven and brush pears with
heated apricot preserves. Serve with
cream or ice cream, if desired.
Sensational Cinnamon
With its rich hue and warm aroma,
cinnamon can bring spicy sweetness
to all kinds of baked goods. However,
all cinnamon is not the same. There
are two main varieties of cinnamon,
Indonesian and Vietnamese.
Vietnamese, which is used in the
Spice Islands Saigon Cinnamon featured
in these recipes, tends to have
a brighter, spicy taste. The forests of
Vietnam are known for their premium
cinnamon. High in volatile oils, the
Vietnamese cinnamon trees produce
a deep, reddish-brown cinnamon with
an intense fragrance and sweet, redhot
candy-like fl avor.
Courtesy Family Features