Copy Cat- Honey Baked Ham

I don't know too many people who like ham who don't like Honey Baked Ham from the Honey Baked Ham Store!!!  It just stands out from all the rest!!!  I found this recipe on the copy cat website (www.copycat.com)  where you can find a lot of recipes from your favorite restaurants.  I have used this site for years.  Just make sure you read the reviews!!  People are quite honest and will either say "this taste nothing like it" or "oh my word, it tastes just like it"!

With Easter coming up I was trying to find some recipes for my cooking class and Ham was on the list.  We made this last Monday in class and it came out really good!!  It's honestly super easy too!

I found 3 different versions when googling Copy Cat- Honey Baked Ham recipes.  I will list 3 different ways you can make this delicious ham using the same ingredients just different methods. 

1. Bake ham according to the directions the ham comes with then once it's done pour the syrup you make (recipe below) and put under the broiler watching it carefully for 2 to 5 minutes.  You want to see it start to kinda bubble on top.  Don't let it burn but let it kinda get a semi crust on top.  Take it out and it's ready!

2.  Place Ham in a crock pot and turn on high for 3 hours with about 1/2 a cup of water to a cup of water.
Then take it out and put in a oven proof pan and pour syrup you make (recipe below) and put under the broiler watching it carefully for 2 to 5 minutes.  You want to see it start to kinda bubble on top.  Don't let it burn but let it kinda get a semi crust on top.  Take and out and it's ready!

3. This method you do not boil or make a syrup, you simply sprinkle it on the ham.  In a small mixing bowl combine sugar, ginger, clove, paprika, onion powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix the seasoned sugar mixture well. Place aluminum foil on a cookie sheet, cover the pan with the foil, if you fail to do this, you may have burnt sugar on your pan, and it will take awhile to clean off. Place ham, open meat side down onto the pan. Sprinkle with the seasoned sugar mixture press sugar onto the outside of the ham. You may not use all of the seasoned sugar mixture.

Gently heat the seasoned sugar mixture on the ham. Wave the flame quickly over the sugar, you want the sugar to brown, not burn. Staying in one area, and moving out from there slowly will make this easier, as you will be heating the sugar in a continual direction. This whole process will take about 15 minutes, so be patient. You can sprinkle more sugar on top of the already browned parts of the ham and make the crust thicker

4. Instead of using the oven broiler  you can use a blow torch (listed above)!!!  You can find these at any Kitchen Gadget stores or I have seen them at Ross occasionally.  I happened to buy mine at Home Depot!  I read online that a lot of Chefs actually prefer these because they hold up better and the fuel can is larger.  Several of the reviews said the ones from the kitchen stores usually break often and your $$ goes down the drain.  At Home Depot I found mine for $12.97 and I looked at a kitchen gadget store and they ranged from $25 to $55.

We used a blow torch in my class and we had Blake start the torch and honestly it worked but it kept going out.  Not sure what we were doing wrong.  We got it to start back but the flame for some reason would just go out.  We did get it done though and we just let Blake finish it..

I bought my spiral ham at Wal Mart for I think $16.50, had I of gotten this at the Honey Baked Ham store it would have been easily $55 to $65!

Also I had to use my cell phone to take pictures because my batteries went out in my camera!  So the pictures are not great :(.

* if you don't have clove or nutmeg and you don't want to spend $6.99-$9.99 a bottle you can go to Sprouts and buy it by the ounce!  I bought about 1 1/2 tablespoons for about .40 cents!  If you can find ground cloves or nutmeg on sale grab it!  I try to keep it on hand but for some reason left it at home the day we made this in class.

Just simply add about a 1 cup of water then cover with foil and bake according to the directions on the ham. We only baked ours for 1 hour because of the about of time we have in class and it was delicious!

Add the sugar, spices and water and once it boils let it boil for 1 minute. * You do not want to leave out any of the spices because that is what gives the the Ham the Honey Baked Ham Store taste!

This is what the blow torch looks like from Home Depot.. $12.97

This is Blake!!  We LOVE Blake!  It's usually Blake and 5 or 6 women in class!  He is shy and covered his face when I was taking his picture.  He let me take another one but it was blurry.  He has been coming to class for almost 4 years now and he wants to become a Chef.  I believe he will!!

I added 1/2 a cup of syrup at a time and Blake would torch that area

We did have a flare pop up so be careful...it went out super quick once he lifted the torch away

 

It does the trick but I bet the broiler from the oven would too!  The kitchen where I do my classes is gas so there is no broiler and that is why I bought the blow torch.

\

Not a great picture but it was beautiful and delicious!!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bone-in spiral sliced pre-cooked ham 

Bake spiral ham according to the directions on the ham or put in a crock pot for 3 hrs.

Method-Syrup

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan. Add enough water until you get a thick syrup (about 3 to 5 Tablespoons). Bring the syrup to a boil on the stove top. Boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.


Remove ham from crock-pot and place in a foil lined baking pan. Baste ham with syrup. Place ham in oven and broil at 500° for 2 to 5 minutes until syrup starts to bubble. Keep an eye on the ham while it is in the oven...Do NOT leave Ham unattended!  Remove Ham and serve.

Method sprinkling dry mixture on ham:
In a small mixing bowl combine sugar, ginger, clove, paprika, onion powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix the seasoned sugar mixture well. Place aluminum foil on a cookie sheet, cover the pan with the foil, if you fail to do this, you may have burnt sugar on your pan, and it will take awhile to clean off. Place ham, open meat side down onto the pan. Sprinkle with the seasoned sugar mixture press sugar onto the outside of the ham. You may not use all of the seasoned sugar mixture.

Gently heat the seasoned sugar mixture on the ham. Wave the flame (blow torch) quickly over the sugar, you want the sugar to brown, not burn. Staying in one area, and moving out from there slowly will make this easier, as you will be heating the sugar in a continual direction. This whole process will take about 15 minutes, so be patient. You can sprinkle more sugar on top of the already browned parts of the ham and make the crust thicker.  

*You can also do the dry rub using the broiler in the oven.

I like the syrup because it goes down into some of the slices when you pour it on top but both works!