"Baked Party Ham"

This delicious ham recipe is as simple but looks, oh, so dramatic that your guests will be oohing and ahhing.

I was so busy with other Easter preparations that I forgot to take my usual step by step photos. But you won't need them. That's how easy this ham is to prepare. So here goes:

Ingredients:

1 whole ready-to-eat ham (12 to 14 pounds), bone in

Whole cloves

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 cans 8 ounces each pineapple chucks, with their juice

1 cup bitter orange marmalade

1 cup bourbon

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Peel the skin from the ham and trim the fat, leaving a 1/4 inch layer. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the fat in a diamond pattern.

3. Insert the cloves in the crossed point of each diamond and pat the brown sugar evenly over the top of the ham. Place in a shallow roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes.

4. While the ham is baking, heat the pineapple chunks, juice, and marmalade together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove the pan from heat and add the bourbon.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, pour the pineapple sauce over it. I like to place some of the pineapple on top of the ham. The rest of it will fall to the bottom of the roaster. Return pan to the oven. Bake, basting frequently for another 1 1/2 hour.

6. Remove roasting pan from oven and transfer the ham to a warm serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer any pineapple from the pan to a saucepan. Skim accumulated fat from the cooking juices or pour them through a gravy separator. Add the defatted juices to the pineapple, heat through, and pour into a bowl or sauceboat. Serve the ham with the sauce alongside.

This ham served 22 with leftovers... although 10 of were kids.

It was a big hit.