Easter is a joyous holiday for Christians. As with most holidays, food is an important factor. If you celebrate Easter, you will most likely be looking for recipes to use up hard-boiled eggs, along with traditional Easter recipes for lamb and ham.

Although colored hard-boiled eggs are probably the first Easter food to come to mind, other foods factor into the traditional Easter meals around the world.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are an Easter favorite in many areas. The tradition allegedly is derived from ancient Anglo-Saxons who baked small wheat cakes in honor of the springtime goddess, Eostre. After converting to Christianity, the church substituted the cakes with sweetbreads blessed by the church.

Countries around the world serve sweet cakes in the same vein, such as Czech babobka and Polish baba. The Greeks and Portugese serve round, flat loaves marked with a cross and decorated with Easter eggs. Syrian and Jordanian Christians have honey pastries.

Recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-3/4 to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup currants or raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts) (optional)
• 1 slightly beaten egg white
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur or milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• Milk

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and cinnamon. In a small saucepan heat and stir 3/4 cup milk, the oil, granulated sugar, and salt until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F). Add to flour mixture along with whole eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

Using a spoon, stir in currants or raisins, hazelnuts (if desired), and as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a wooden spoon. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover and let rise until nearly double (about 1-1/2 hours).

Punch dough down. Turn out onto a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place balls 1-1/2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until nearly double (30 to 45 minutes). With a sharp knife, make a shallow crisscross slash across each bun. Brush with egg white. Bake in a 375-degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl combine sifted powdered sugar, hazelnuts liqueur or milk, and vanilla. Stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches drizzling consistency. Drizzle buns with icing. Serve warm.

Yield: 20 buns

Nutritional facts per serving calories: 201 , total fat: 7g , saturated fat: 1g , cholesterol: 33mg , sodium: 71mg, carbohydrate: 31g , protein: 4g

Note: Hot Cross Buns are a traditional favorite for Lent and Easter, but they are enjoyable year-round.

Soft Pesto Pretzels

Pretzels were first shaped to indicate the torso of a person with arms folded, praying.

Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated breadsticks
• 1 tablespoon store-bought pesto
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend

Preparation:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use ungreased baking sheet. Separate dough into 12 breadsticks. With finger, firmly press dough to make an indentation lengthwise down center of each breadstick. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon pesto into each indentation. Fold dough lengthwise over pesto and press edges to seal.

Twist and stretch each breadstick to form a 22-inch rope. Shape each rope into pretzel shape; tuck ends under and press to seal. Place on paper-lined baking sheet. Beat egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with Parmesan-Romano cheese. Bake in preheated 375-degree F. oven 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 pretzels

Nutritioin Per Pretzel: 80 calories, 2 grams total fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol. 12 grams carbohydrate and 2 grams protein.

Roast Lamb Dinner

The roast lamb dinner that many eat on Easter Sunday goes back earlier than Easter to the first Passover of the Jewish people. The sacrificial lambPassover Seder) in hopes that the angel of God would pass over their homes and bring no harm. As Hebrews converted to Christianity, they naturally brought along their traditions with them. The Christians often refer to Jesus as The Lamb of God. Thus, the traditions merged. was roasted and eaten, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (see Passover Seder) in hopes that the angel of God would pass over their homes and bring no harm. As Hebrews converted to Christianity, they naturally brought along their traditions with them. The Christians often refer to Jesus as The Lamb of God. Thus, the traditions merged.

How to store and select lamb

Color is a good indicator of age. The lighter the color, the younger the meat. Baby lamb should be pale pink. Regular lamb is pinkish-red.

Ground lamb and small lamb cuts should be wrapped and refrigerated up to three days. Larger roasts may be refrigerated up to 5 days before using.

Ground lamb may be tightly wrapped and frozen up to 3 months, while larger roasts and solid pieces may be frozen up to 6 months.

Plan ahead: frozen lamb should be thawed slowly in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. This will allow the moisture to be re-absorbed into the meat and not lost.

Cooked lamb may be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

One 6-pound leg of lamb will serve between 6 and 8 people.

Selecting lamb for cooking

When selecting lamb, take into consideration the tenderness of the cut so you will know how to cook it. Tender cuts require fast cooking over moderate to high heat, while less tender cuts are better for braising and stews.

Lamb Cuts

Tender cuts of lamb include:

• Rib: Roasts (rib, rack, crown), chops (rib, Frenched rib)
• Loin: Roasts (loin, double loin), chops (loin, kidney or English)
• Leg: Leg of lamb or mutton, leg chop or steak, cubes for kebabs

Less tender cuts requiring a longer cooking time include:

• Neck: Neck slices
• Shoulder: Roasts (rolled, cushion, square shoulder), chops (blade, arm), stew lamb or mutton, ground lamb or mutton
• Breast: Roasts for stuffing, riblets (stew lamb or mutton)
• Shank: lamb or mutton shanks

Ham

In the United States, ham is a traditional Easter food. In the early days, meat was slaughtered in the fall. There was no refrigeration, and the fresh pork that wasn’t consumed during the winter months before Lent was cured for spring. The curing process took a long time, and the first hams were ready around the time Easter rolled around. Thus, ham was a natural choice for the celebratory Easter dinner.

How to store and select ham

Ham storage

Fresh ham can be stored in the refrigerator up to five days before cooking.

Cured ham should be refrigerated in the original packaging for up to a week.

Check labels on country-style hams. Some can be stored in a cool place for one to two months, but keep in mind that over time, evaporation shrinks and toughens country ham.

Some canned hams require refrigeration even before opening. Be sure to check the label. All ham should be refrigerated after cooking or opening of the can, and used within five days.

Whole hams can be frozen for up to three months, but if they are country-style, this rather defeats the purpose. Country-style hams can be stored in a cool, dark place at 72 degrees F. for up to two months. Once cut, the country ham is highly perishable.

Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month. If frozen too long, ham will lose its rosy color and turn greyish-brown, as well as lose texture.

Unopened canned hams can be kept in the refrigerator up to one year. Freezing unopened canned ham is pointless, since it will not extend the storage life.

Once opened, canned ham can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to one month.

Raw, dry-cured ham such as prosciutto should be tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator up to five days.

Selecting ham for cooking

Fresh ham should have a well-marbled lean section, with a firm white layer of fat. Young pork will have a grayish-pink color while older pork will be rosy.

Cured hams should be firm and plump, rosy pink with a fine grain to the meat. You will mostly likely have to depend upon dating codes on the ham and the reputation of the producer to judge the quality of uncut hams.

Read labels carefully on canned hams. Some require refrigeration, even before opening. Those that do generally have a better flavor and texture than canned hams which can be stored at room temperature. Shelf-stable processing requires very high heat affecting not only flavor, but also aroma, texture and nutritional value. Also keep in mind that higher quality meat is reserved for more expensive products. Basically, you get what you pay for.

Hams can range from 6 to 24 pounds depending on the cut and whether boneless or not, giving rise to the old adage, “Eternity is a ham and two people.”

Celebrate Easter with a variety of traditional and untraditional recipes, foods, and customs!

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