Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Calphalon. All opinions are my own.
Holiday cooking just got tastier with both this Cranberry Orange Bourbon Baked Ham with honey and Dijon mustard and the Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread made with ready made puff pastry!
Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming when cooking holiday meals. With all of the dishes that need to get on the table on time, wouldn’t it be great to make two dishes at the same time? With the Calphalon® Performance Dual Oven with Air Fry, doing this is actually possible. You can control each zone independently, allowing for two separate meals to be cooked simultaneously. Like I did with this Cranberry Orange Bourbon Baked Ham and the Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread!
What is baked ham?
Baked ham is made from a ham that is considered “pre-cooked,” cured, or smoked. It would not technically need to be cooked, but we do and add a sugary ingredients on top while it bakes.
What main Ingredients are needed for the Cranberry Orange Bourbon Baked Ham?
Ham– use a pre-cooked ham for the baked ham.
Brown sugar– brown sugar is used for a slight molasses taste to the ham
Honey- honey is used for another added sweetness
Mustard- Dijon mustard is used in the recipe to counterbalance the sweet taste and gives the ham a slight tanginess
Bourbon – the bourbon is optional in the recipe, I like to add a bit of it to baked hams to give it more flavor
What is snowflake bread?
Snowflake bread is a sweet bread that’s shaped like a snowflake. It’s using made around Christmas time.
What main Ingredients are needed for the Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread?
Puff pastry – puff pastry is used to make the recipe quicker and easier. A homemade sweet bread can be substituted for it.
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread- the chocolate hazelnut spread is used as the sweet filling for the snowflake bread. Any sweet filling would work as well like a jam or cookie butter.
Salted Caramel – I used a jarred salted caramel to go on top of the Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. If you don’t want to use a jarred version, you can use a homemade salted caramel by making the caramel from my Jumbo Bourbon Caramel Glazed Cinnamon Rolls. And just omit the bourbon.
How was the Cranberry Orange Bourbon Baked Ham made?
Cook the brown sugar, mustard, honey, orange juice, and cranberries in a small saucepan until the brown sugar is melted and the cranberries have mostly burst. The sauce will have a red hue because of the cranberries. Then add the bourbon. You don’t want to add the bourbon while the sauce is cooking. The bourbon can have a reaction to the hot sauce and the mixture can boil over.
Place the ham on a baking sheet fat side up. Score the fat of the ham in a diamond pattern by slicing the top of the ham in one direction, then slicing it again across on top of the first slices. When done, it should look like there are several diamond shapes all across the skin.
Pour or brush half of the cranberry orange mixture on top of the ham and bake for 30-35 minutes.
How was the Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread made?
I used pre-made puff pastry for the bread. A homemade sweet bread can be substituted for it, like the dough recipe in my Orange Cranberry Pecan Wreath Bread.
Place a 7 inch plate on top of the first pastry sheet and cut around the plate so that you have a circle. Repeat with the second pastry. You only need 2 sheets for this.
Place the first pastry on a piece of parchment paper. Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread on top. Drizzle salted caramel sauce on top. Then, place the second circle pastry on top.
How to shape the Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread:
Place a 3 inch cookie cutter or bowl in the center and make an indent. This is used as a guide to shape it.
Using a sharp knife, cut 4 equal pieces, first at 3 o’clock, 6o’clock, 9o’clock and 12 o’clock. Then cut each of those in half until you have 8 sections. Then cut each of those sections in half until you have 16 even pieces. Grab two strips and twist them away from each other three times, then press the two ends together to make a point. Use an egg wash of 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of water, beaten, to make sure the ends stick together. Your star bread will have 8 sections when done.
Brush the bread with the remaining egg wash, then bake. Dust the bread with powdered sugar before serving, so that it looks like a snowflake.
What was the ham and snowflake bread baked in?
Both were baked in the Calphalon® Performance Dual Oven with Air Fry.
In the upper section of the oven, I was able to cook this Cranberry Orange Bourbon Baked Ham. And in the lower oven, this easy Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread. Both baked at the same time at 2 different temperatures!
The Upper Zone has a large capacity that can accommodate up to a 4 lb roast. The Lower Zone is perfectly sized to bake a flatter dish up to 12 inches in diameter. The oven also has Turbo Convection Heat Technology that circulates hot air through the oven for faster, more even cooking. Not only can you prepare 2 dishes together, but they both bake at a faster. It’s the best of both worlds!
The Calphalon® Performance Dual Oven with Air Fry Oven is availabile at Amazon.com
Commonly Asked Questions:
Can you use a bone-in ham instead of a boneless ham?
Yes, you can use a bone in ham. Just increase the cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
Can you freeze the leftover slices of ham?
Freeze any leftover ham in an airtight container or freezer bag up to 3 months.
What other fillings can be used for the snowflake bread?
There are so many variations that can be used for the filling. Some are cinnamon sugar, like for cinnamon rolls, jam, apple butter, pumpkin butter, or cookie butter. You can also go savory and use a pesto or sun dried tomatoes spread.
How do you store the snowflake bread?
Store the snowflake bread in an airtight color up to 3 days.
Looking for other holiday food ideas? Here are a few ideas:
Three Cheese Truffled Potatoes Au Gratin
Sweet & Spicy Italian Sausage Skillet Lasagna
Triple Chocolate Espresso Christmas Brownies
Hot Chocolate Cookies with Marshmallow Swirl
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Truffles
Cranberry Orange Bourbon Baked Ham
Ingredients
- 1 3-5lb boneless ham, fully cooked
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tbsp bourbon
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, mustard, honey, orange juice, and cranberries. Cook until the brown sugar is melted and the cranberries have mostly burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the bourbon, then set aside. Place the ham on a baking sheet fat side up. Score the fat of the ham in a diamond pattern by slicing the top of the ham in one direction, then slicing it again across on top of the first slices. Pour or brush half of the cranberry orange mixture on top of the ham. Pre-heat the Calphalon® Performance Dual Oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven and pour or brush the remaining sauce on top. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Snowflake Bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 box puff pastry
- 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
- 2 tbsp jarred salted caramel sauce
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
Garnish
- 1-2 tbsp 1-2 tbsp powered sugar
Instructions
- Let the puff pastry thaw on the counter. Remove both pastry sheets from the box and open one up on a cutting board. Place a 7 inch plate on top of the first pastry sheet and cut around the plate so that you have a circle. Repeat with the second pastry.Place the first pastry on a piece of parchment paper. Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread on top. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce on top. Place the second circle pastry on top. Place a 3 inch cookie cutter or bowl in the center and make an indent. Using a sharp knife, cut 16 even strips, by cutting the pastry into 4 equal pieces first at 3 o’clock, 6o’clock, 9o’clock and 12 o’clock. Then cut each of those in half until you have 8 sections. Then cut each of those sections in half until you have 16. Grab two strips and twist them away from each other three times, then press the two ends together to make a point. An egg wash can be used to make sure the ends stick. Your star bread will have 8 sections when done.Pre-heat the lower level of Calphalon® Performance Dual Oven to 350 degrees. Place the snowflake bread with the parchment paper in the dual oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
