Easy 10 Minute Scones with 5 Pantry Staples and Whipping Cream

It's been a long time since I last posted, over 8 years ago to be exact. The world looks a lot different than when I last posted: a global pandemic, invention of ChatGPT, and the meteoric rise of my favorite artist Taylor Swift. The only one I could have foreseen would have been Taylor Swift as I have been a Swiftie since 2010.

Many things have also changed in my personal life: on the food allergy front, on the family front and on the health front. There is a lot to unpack, especially on the allergy front that I can't wait to share with you. Since my last post, my little man will soon turn 11, and not so little anymore. I am also blessed to have a little princess who recently turned 8. During the pandemic, I discovered a new passion for running and fitness and ran my first 10k in 56 minutes. Stay tuned for content on self care for food allergy parents.

In spite of all the changes, the heart of this blog will remain the same: I remain resolute in my advocacy for those with food allergies, and my inner frugalness wanting to constantly seek the best value for my time and money. 

As a mom of two who loves to overcommit to activities, my time is also limited and precious. I enjoy watching short videos and my goal is to create videos for some of my most popular recipes and share new recipes, life hacks and ways to you save time and money. I will be sharing content on my blog as well as filming YouTube videos and Instagram reels. Thank you for your patience as I learn and grow. 

Reader Survey: Leave me a comment below and let me know a little about you and what type of content interests you. Or head over to this 1 minute survey and let me know what type of content you want to see featured in the future. https://bit.ly/FAMReaderSurvey

I want to conclude my post with a quick recipe for scones using whipping cream. This King Arthur recipe uses only 6 ingredients, and whips up in 10 minutes if you use a food processor or 15 minutes if you don't. For those with food allergies, it is hard to find safe baked treats free of cross contamination. This is why I always resort to making my own and have come to rely on this particular recipe for scones that are quick to whip up, but tender, crumbly and slightly sweet. This recipe is low effort, budget friendly and perfect for Mother's Day celebrations, quick breakfasts on the go, or your next brunch or tea party! For those who are visual, check out my very first YouTube video.  

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour 

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 to 1-1/3 cups whipping cream plus extra for brushing on scones

Sugar for sprinkling 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat like Silpat. 

3. In a bowl or food processor, mix 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 TBSP baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. 

4. Mix 1 tsp of vanilla with 1-1/2 to 1-1/3 cups of whipping cream. Slowly mix into the dry ingredients until no traces of flour remain; the dough should not be sticky. Drizzle a tablespoon of whipping cream if the dough looks dry. Repeat as necessary.

5. Lightly flour a surface and dump out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 3/4" thickness. With a biscuit cutter, or sharp knife, divide the dough into 12 (or baker's dozen 13) equal sized scones.

6. Brush with whipping cream, and sprinkle sugar on top.

7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown. 

8. Remove from the oven and serve warm with jam, clotted cream or with a cup of tea.

Source: King Arthur Cream Scones

Chinese Pork and Shrimp Wontons

My mom and my late grandmother both love wontons. As a child, we had wontons on a regular basis at home during the winter months. As a kid, I can't say I really loved wontons since I usually burnt my tongue trying to eat the little suckers; I am impatient when it comes to food.

I remember watching my mom and my late grandmother spend half a day making a big batch of wontons, most of which were frozen for future meals or for busy nights when dinners needed to be on the table quickly.

I never realized how easy it is to make wontons if you used packaged wrappers. Be forewarned though, making wontons does takes a little effort and time. The batch I made turned out 54 wontons and took me about an hour and half to make from start to finish. I made enough wontons for two meals that fed my family of three. You can also stretch the wontons by adding egg noodles to each serving, which reduces the amount of wontons you have to serve.

I have to say these wontons are absolutely delicious. The shrimp adds a nice texture to the wontons and my husband declared it the best wontons he has ever had. I'm delighted by his comment since my Mother-In-Law makes pretty darned good wontons. Since I spent my life eating wontons, I consider myself a wonton connoisseur, this wontons even met my high expectations. This is definitely a recipe I would remake over and over. I think these wontons would have made my late grandmother proud.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 lb finely minced deveined unshelled shrimp
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 package of wonton wrappers (look for wonton wrappers that are a little thicker)

Bowl of water
Cutting board
Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix the pork, shrimp, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, egg and sesame oil. Stir until it is thoroughly mixed and the mixture resembles a paste.

2. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Set up your wonton wrapping station: cutting board, and a bowl filled with cold water.

Top left clockwise: baking sheet with parchment paper, pork and shrimp filling, wonton wrapper, water, cutting board.

3. With a small teaspoon, spoon a teaspoon of the filling into the center of the wonton. Seal the wonton with water. There are two ways I like to fold my wontons:

Method 1:

Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wonton wrappers. With the tip of your finger, dip it into the bowl of water and paint two adjoining edges with water so it forms a "V".

Fold the wonton in half into a triangle, making sure to squeeze out any air bubbles, press firmly and seal. Create an indent in the middle of the triangle.

Dab a little bit of water on one corner of the wonton, fold and seal. Place the wonton on the parchment paper.

Repeat with the remaining wontons. Wipe up any water from your cutting board with a paper towel.

Method 2:

Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wonton wrapper. With your finger tip, brush half of the edges with water so it forms a "U".

Fold the wonton in half into a rectangle, making sure to squeeze out any air bubbles, press firmly and seal. Create an indent in the middle of the rectangle where the filling is.

Dab a bottom corner with a little bit of water, fold and seal. Place the wonton on the parchment paper.

Repeat with the remaining wontons. Wipe up any water from your cutting board with a paper towel.

4. Place wontons on the baking sheet, making sure to leave a little space between each wonton. Repeat with the wrapping the remaining wontons.

To serve:

Ingredients
Chicken, pork, seafood or vegetable broth
Sesame oil
Wontons
Broccoli, bok choy or other green leafy vegetables
1 package of egg noodles (optional, see note below)
Green onions for garnish (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)

1. In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add wontons to the pot, and reduce heat to medium. Cook the wontons for 3 to 4 minutes before adding in green vegetables (broccoli, shanghai bok choy) or chopped green onions. Add a teaspoon of sesame oil to the broth and cook until the broth comes back to a boil, the vegetables are crisp tender and the wontons float. Ladle some soup and wontons into each bowl. I find that each adult needs about 9 to 11 wontons for a substantial meal and 6 to 8 wontons for a light meal.

If you want to serve egg noodles with the wontons, cook the noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and divide noodles between each bowl. Ladle soup and wontons into each bowl. If you are serving egg noodles along with wontons, you can serve less wontons for each person. I usually serve 5 wontons per adult if I am also serving egg noodles.

To Freeze:
Freeze wontons in a single layer on a cookie sheet for at least 3 to 4 hours. Once the wontons have frozen completely, you can place them in a Ziploc bag or freezer safe container. The wontons can be frozen in a freezer for up to 2 months. To cook the wontons straight from the freezer: place the frozen wontons directly into boiling broth and allow it to cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Source: Slightly adapted from China Sichuan Food

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

This is the salad that I have been eating all summer long. Well, ever since I discovered it at my Sister-In-Law's house back in June.

My Sister-In-Law always serves at least two amazing salads at her dinner parties. The list of salads on her menu rotate as she experiments with different recipes. This leads me to constantly asking her for recipes and helping myself to countless servings shamelessly as a dinner guest. My worst offense has been with this particular salad, where I was responsible for eating most if not all of it. If I recall correctly, other people wanted a second serving as well. Well, first come first served.

Since I couldn't get enough of this salad at my Sister-In-Law's, I had to make it for myself many times to satiate those pesky cravings.

This salad taste best when you use fresh, in season corn and tomatoes. Serve this salad as a side or a main entree, as it's guaranteed to please even the fussiest eaters. I hope your guests will be a little more considerate than I was at sharing.

Ingredients
2 corn off the cob (check out how to cook corn in 3 minutes) or 12 oz (360 ml) can of peaches and cream corn, rinsed and drained
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced into small pieces
12 oz (360 ml) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/8 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped into bite sized pieces

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin*
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions
1. Combine corn kernels, tomatoes, black beans, red onion and cilantro in a bowl.

2. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Pour the dressing into the vegetables and mix. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator for best flavor. Stir in the avocado right before serving.

*For those with peanut and/or tree nut allergies, Clubhouse/McCormick sells spices free of peanuts and tree nuts. This may change without notice, please check with company for up to date information and always read all labels carefully before consuming.

Source: Lola via Frugal Allergy Mom

Chinese Fresh Fruit Cake

Recipe updated April 28, 2024: Since publishing this recipe almost 10 years ago, I have made numerous modifications to improve the recipe.

We all want to feel like we belong. Nothing can be more true than my longing for others to include my nut-allergic little man at social gatherings involving food. In the food allergy world, we keep hearing, "exclude the food, not the child". While I wholeheartedly agree that we should exclude the food, the practicality of this in a society centered around food often makes this task impossible. Since food is part of the social norm and how we bond, I often wondered why don't we adapt the food or find an allergy friendly alternative so a food allergy child can be included?

For the past year or so, Chinese fresh fruit cake seems to be the cake of choice. No, this is not the fruit cake that gets passed around at Christmas like a hot potato. This cake is light and slightly sweet, decorated with slices of fresh fruit and frosted with fresh whipping cream sandwiched between two layers of light and fluffy sponge cake. This is the good stuff. And it generally costs a pretty penny, averaging $30-$40 for a 7" cake at a reputable Chinese bakery in Vancouver.

At these events, while everyone chows down on the cake, my little man always looks at me with a glimmer of hope. I would whisper to him that it may contain nuts (as certain bakeries decorate their fresh fruit cake with sliced almonds). At 2 years of age, he is learning to accept that he cannot eat certain foods. As usual, I always have a safe snack available and he is happy that I had thought to include him. I have noticed that as he grows older, he notices everyone happily sharing the same treat while he is given something different. I feel the exclusion too when my little man is excluded from these events. Sometimes, I would eat the same safe snack as my little man to show him a little solidarity.

Hence my need to learn to make this darned fresh fruit cake.

To be honest, I have always been intimidated by how labour intensive it is to make a Chinese fresh fruit cake. However, after I made it three times, I realized that making this cake is no different than any other cake I have made. In fact, I have found that this cake is quite easy, provided that you carefully read all the instructions and follow it.

My Adaptations

• I found the original recipe to be quite sweet and halved the sugar in the whipping cream recipe.
• I also did not use almonds in my finished cake as my little man has a nut allergy. In lieu of almonds, you can use dried coconut flakes or shaved chocolate to decorate the sides. Please make sure to read the labels to avoid cross contamination. I opted to leave the sides undecorated to let the flavors of fresh fruit shine through. 
• Having made this cake at least 60 times since publishing in 2015, I now use parchment paper to line my baking pans, and also add the sugar later on in the process. 

Most of all, I want to thank Mika at 350 Degree Oven for posting and sharing this wonderful recipe. Armed with Mika's recipe, my little man was finally able to have a slice of Chinese fresh fruit cake, just like everyone else.

Ingredients
6 large eggs, separated
12 tablespoon white sugar, divided
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp clear vanilla extract (regular vanilla extract will work as well)
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup cake flour (do not substitute in AP flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar  

475 ml (~1 pint) heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp white sugar

Fresh fruit to decorate: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, peach/necterine, cantaloupe or honeydew (you generally want to use fruits with a soft flesh). Please do not use canned, frozen or dried fruit in this cake.

1 cup chopped fresh fruit (I usually like to use the same fruit as I used to decorate the cake. This is the perfect place to use those end pieces not suitable for decoration).

Directions
1. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white; be careful not to contaminate the egg white with any egg yolk otherwise the egg whites will not whip properly. I like using my hands to separate the egg yolk from the egg white. I always use three bowls: one for the egg yolks, one for the egg whites and one bowl for the egg that I just cracked to check to make sure the egg white in the bowl is not contaminated. This way, if you have some egg yolk in the egg whites, you can easily discard the contaminated bowl without having to discard your whole batch.

2. To the bowl of egg yolks, add 6 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of clear vanilla extract.

3. Using a hand blender, beat the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth.

4. Add 1/2 cup cold water and 1/3 cup canola oil to the egg yolk mixture. Beat until smooth.


5. In a bowl, sift 1 cup of cake flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Do NOT add cream of tartar!

6. Pour the sifted flour mixture into the egg yolk batter and beat until just combined; do not over mix. I personally prefer to beat the mixture until only a few traces of flour remain and folding the rest of the batter by hand with a spatula.

7. Detach your whisks and wash it thoroughly in warm soapy water. Dry the whisks thoroughly with a paper towel to remove all traces of oil and fat.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

9. With your clean and dry whisks, beat the egg whites until it is foamy. Then add 6 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar until the egg whites are stiff and should hold if you try to tip the bowl. This can take a while, up to 3 to 5 minutes in some cases. Be patient.

10. Using a flat spatula, stir in 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter.

11. Then, gently fold (using figure 8 motions) in another 1/3 of the egg whites.

12. Lastly, gently fold in the remaining egg whites with your spatula. Do not over mix. It is okay if your cake batter has streaks of egg white throughout. Over mixing will result in a denser cake which is the opposite of what we want to achieve.

13. Line your cake pans with parchment paper (do not use wax paper). Divide the batter evenly between 2 cake pans. I used two 9" round cake pans but 8" cake pans work just as well (you will need to adjust the baking time).

14. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven. In my oven, it took 30 minutes to bake two 9" cake pans. I have also tested switching the cake pans half way through and have found that leaving the cakes alone to bake uninterrupted worked the best. Bake until the sides of the cake look like they are pulling away from the cake pan. Once the cakes look golden brown and the edges look like it is pulling away, turn off the oven and leave it in the oven for another 5 minutes.


15. Allow the cakes to cool upside down on a cooling rack. This step is important as otherwise the cake will deflate if allowed to cool upright.

16. Once the cake has cooled completely, run a knife along the edge of the cake pan to loosen it. At this point, you can either use it right away or store it in the fridge in a tight lidded container lined with parchment paper for up to a day. If you choose the latter option, make sure to take the cake out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you frost the cake.


17. In a large bowl, pour in the whipping cream. Beat until the whipping cream forms soft peaks. Add in 3 tablespoons of sugar and beat until the whipping cream is just about to form stiff peaks. 


18. In a small bowl, mix in 1 cup of whipped cream with 1 cup of fresh fruit.

19. Place the cake right side up on a cake board or a cutting board covered with aluminum foil. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the top. Then spread the fresh fruit and whipped cream mixture evenly over the cake.

20. Place the second cake upside down on top of the fresh fruit mixture. Frost the top and sides with whipped cream.

21. Place the whole cake in the fridge uncovered to allow the whipped cream to firm up for at least 15 to 30 minutes.

22. Meanwhile, slice and prepare the fresh fruit. Place the sliced fruit on a clean and dry paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. I should note that you should only use fresh fruit, not canned, not frozen, and certainly not dried fruit. The best thing to do is to use fruits in season as they are the most economical, and taste the best.

23. Take the cake out of the fridge and smooth the whipped cream with an offset spatula. Decorate with sliced fruit. At this point, you can either chill the cake for up to 4 hours (cover with a loose lid to prevent the cake absorbing other smells from your fridge) or serve the cake right away for immediate consumption. Now it's time for me to go work off all the calories from eating three cakes within one week!!

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Source: Adapted from The 350 Degree Oven

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Lemongrass Pork

We have avoided dining at Vietnamese restaurants for the past year. The last time we went, I ordered Pho, and my husband ordered his usual: Vietnamese rice noodle salad. As a precaution, we brought our little man's food with us, since we realized the risk of cross contamination is high with peanuts being used in Vietnamese dishes.

When my husband's rice noodle salad arrived, it was topped with a generous handful of chopped peanuts. We quietly freaked out and removed our little man from the restaurant, leaving my husband to scoop out the peanuts from his bowl and eat his meal in solitude.

To this day, we are still baffled how both of us forgot that Vietnamese rice noodle salads contain peanuts. We vowed not to put our family into that situation again and make Vietnamese food at home.

With a little help from the internet and a little planning, a peanut-free rice noodle salad was on our dinner table. The only exception was that this time around, our whole family had the chance to enjoy a safe meal together.

MAKE AHEAD TIP:

I usually serve this rice noodle salad after grilling a big batch of Vietnamese lemongrass pork. If you grill the pork the night before, this allows dinner to be ready in as short as 20 minutes as the grilled pork, pickles and dipping sauce are ready to go. All you have to do is heat the spring rolls, cook the noodles and assemble the dinner.

Serves: 8

Ingredients
1 package rice noodles
1 package of spring rolls
8 generous pieces of cooked Vietnamese lemongrass pork (try this recipe)
1 cucumber, sliced
1 head of lettuce, shredded (iceberg or romaine)
1 batch of Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles (try this recipe)
1 batch of Vietnamese dipping sauce (try this recipe)
Sriracha hot sauce, to serve (optional)
Hoisin sauce, to serve (optional)
Mint, to serve (optional)

Directions
1. Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Different brands of rice noodles contain different ingredients. Always read the label!

2. Bake or pan fry the spring rolls according to package directions. Cut the spring rolls into bite-sized pieces.

Nut-free spring rolls from Costco Canada.

3. Heat the Vietnamese lemongrass pork in the microwave until warm. Slice thinly into bite-sized pieces.

4. Place rice noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Top each bowl with spring rolls, lemongrass pork, cucumber, shredded lettuce and Vietnamese carrot daikon pickles.

5. Serve with Vietnamese dipping sauce, sriracha hot sauce, hoisin sauce and mint.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

10 Minute Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

Vancouver, or Raincouver, as it is fondly known by locals is going through a heat wave this summer. We have had sunny skies for more consecutive days than I can count and being the heat wimp that I am, I have my fingers crossed for cooler weather and some rain.

With such intense heat, the last thing on my mind is standing over a hot stove. I aim for quick meals that require little stove action which taste delicious and are quick to prepare. This recipe has become a family favorite and my husband declared this as one my of best recipes.

Thinking back on my childhood, this was one of my mom's favorite go-to meals in the summer as well: easy and delicious. Her version uses peanut butter instead of seed butter, but I would highly suggest using seed butter (that contain sesame) as it tastes much better and more friendly for those with peanut/tree nut allergies!

Ingredients
454 g spaghetti or thin egg (Chow Mein) noodles
1 large cucumber, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 stalks green onions (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Sauce
1/3 cup seed butter (preferably one that contains sesame)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce, or hot pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Boil water in a large pot over high heat. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions, drain and soak the noodles in cold water until it is cool to the touch. Drain again.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix the seed butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, black pepper, ginger and hot sauce together. Stir and simmer the sauce until it is smooth.

3. Pour the sauce over the cold noodles and toss with cucumber, carrots, green onions and cilantro (if using). Garnish with sesame seeds. This can be chilled or served at room temperature. Personally, I find this noodle salad taste the best after chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Source: Adapted from Food

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (Free of Top Allergens)

I am not a morning person. Never have been, and likely never will be.

My little man on the other hand, loves getting up early.

With an early riser in the family, nowadays I get up as early as 5 am. I have found that since I get up much earlier now, I like to have a light breakfast to tide me over until lunchtime.

I discovered this Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookie recipe back in April and have made it countless times. This recipe is quick and easy to make, and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long).

For those with food allergies, this recipe is free of all the top allergens. I made my own apple sauce from scratch using this recipe and substituted honey in place of sugar to make these cookies even healthier. Did you know you can freeze homemade apple sauce?

These Healthy Banana Oatmeal cookies are a huge hit and a winner in our household as they are delicious, sugar free and good for you.

It makes me feel like a rebel when I tell my little man he can have a cookie at 5 am. Just don't tell him these cookies are healthy! ;)

Makes: 20 to 24 cookies

Ingredients
3 large ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free or regular)
3/4 to 1 cup sugar free dried fruit (homemade or store bought; I used dried cranberries)
1/3 cup apple sauce (homemade or store bought)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add in dried fruit, apple sauce and vanilla.

2. Mix well and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Please do not skip this step as the oatmeal needs to soak up all the moisture to bind the ingredients together.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Drop cookies by the teaspoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet. With the back of a large teaspoon, flatten the cookie flat into a round shape.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

6. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before eating. Store in a tight lidded container for up to a week in the fridge.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Honey Thyme Glazed Ham

I have been seriously addicted to ham lately. One, ham is cost effective as it is one of the cheaper proteins you can purchase. Two, a leg of ham can be used for a variety of different meals, thus saving you time in the kitchen and gives your family a little variety. Three, it's ham! What's not to like about it?

I love trying out new baked ham recipes. This recipe yields in a juicy ham that looks the prettiest as it is speckled with thyme all over. The recipe is similar to the Honey Mustard Glazed Ham where you cover the ham in parchment paper and aluminium foil before baking. Then a glaze is brushed all over for a nice crispy crust.

If you like a sweeter ham, you might like this recipe for Baked Ham With Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze. Leave me a comment and let me know if you are a ham addict too!

Ingredients
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp dried thyme (2 tbsp fresh)
1 (12 to 14 pounds) bone-in ham
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. Place butter and thyme in a bowl. Cover with a plate or paper towel. Defrost on low in the microwave.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Line a roasting pan or glass baking pan with aluminium foil.

4. Discard wrapping and plastic end cap from ham. Using a knife, cut away any rind, fat or skin from the ham. Score the ham in a diamond pattern and place ham on the glass baking pan.

5. Cover the ham with parchment paper then cover with aluminium foil. Bake for 2-1/2 hours.

6. While the ham is cooking, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until it has reduced to 1 tablespoon. (Turn on your exhaust fan so your whole house does not smell like vinegar).

7. Remove the saucepan and stir in the honey, Worcestershire sauce and thyme butter. Set aside.

8. Discard foil and parchment from ham. If there is no liquid in the pan, add 1 cup of water.

9. Brush ham with half of the glaze, bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

10. Remove ham from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze. Bake until the glaze is golden-brown and the ham is heated through (about 30 to 45 minutes).

Source: Slightly adapted from Epicurious