Timeless classic holiday courses

Family Features

When the holidays come around and you’re looking for a menu to please your guests, stick to time-honored classics to ensure everyone goes home happy.

For a spread that’s sure to shine, start with a baked honey ham for the main course. Then, once the evening starts to wind down, break out a dazzling dessert like peanut butter cookie dough chocolate cheesecake.

Center your family’s holiday meal around a traditional classic with this baked honey ham. With a simple sauce to top it off, this main dish can dazzle any crowd. SFlbBAKED HONEY HAM

Servings: 12

1 tablespoon flour

1 oven cooking bag

1 bone-in, fully cooked ham (about 6 pounds)

16 ounces honey

4 teaspoons lemon pepper

2 teaspoons rosemary or thyme, crushed

Honey Sauce:

water

1/2 cup white wine

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Place flour in roasting bag and shake to coat inside surface. Place ham in floured bag. Combine honey, lemon pepper and rosemary; pour over ham and close bag with twist tie. With fork, poke holes in top of bag.

Roast ham 1-11/2 hours, or until slightly browned.

Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

Cut bag and remove ham, following bag manufacturer’s directions. Reserve drippings for sauce.

To make Honey Sauce: Strain drippings and measure; add enough water to equal 2 cups. Add white wine and bring to boil. Serve with ham.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Chocolate Cheesecake

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 5 hours, 25 minutes

Servings: 16

1 cup (16-18 crackers) round snack crackers, finely crushed

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestl Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided

4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 package (16 ounces) Nestl Toll House Refrigerated Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough

Heat oven to 350degrees.

In large bowl, combine cracker crumbs, pecans and butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes.

Place 12/3 cups morsels in medium, microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at additional 10-15-second intervals, stirring just until smooth.

In large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar about 3 minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture and continue folding until mixture is uniform in color.

Spoon approximately 1/3 cream cheese mixture into springform pan; spread mixture evenly over crust.

Cut 10 cookie dough bar squares in half; roll into balls. Place 12 dough balls about 1 inch from outer edge, six in middle and two in center. Spoon remaining batter gently over dough balls; smooth down top.

Bake 45 minutes, or until edge is set but center still moves slightly. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Cut remaining cookie dough squares in half; roll into balls. Bake to desired doneness. Melt remaining morsels and spread or drizzle over top of cheesecake. Garnish each cheesecake slice with cookie, or crumble cookies and sprinkle around edge of cheesecake.