Are you searching for the ultimate holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table that is as impressive to behold as it is unbelievably delicious? This incredible, from-scratch Ginger Snap Crusted Ham is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender ham, with a beautiful, deep diamond-scored crust, all encased in a thick, crunchy, and unbelievably flavorful crust made from sweet and spicy ginger snap cookies.
This isn’t just another holiday ham recipe; it’s your definitive guide to creating a truly unforgettable feast with a unique and spectacular twist. We’ll show you the simple but brilliant professional secrets to a flawless, juicy ham and a perfectly crunchy, non-soggy crust. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to become the talk of your holiday celebration.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Festive & Easy Holiday Main
What makes this Ginger Snap Crusted Ham so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its stunning, textural crust. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, festive cooking with a creative spin. The star of the show is a magnificent, bone-in, fully-cooked smoked ham. The ham’s skin and fat cap are beautifully scored into a deep diamond pattern. The real magic happens with the unique, multi-stage cooking and crusting process. The ham is first slow-roasted to render the fat and make the skin pliable. Then, in a brilliant professional move, the skin is removed, and the ham is coated in a thick, multi-layered crust of brown mustard, dark brown sugar, and a final, show-stopping layer of crushed ginger snap cookies. The result is an unbelievably juicy ham with a beautiful, thick, crunchy, and deeply caramelized crust.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 12-16 |
The Holiday Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, classic ingredients to create its signature rich and savory-sweet flavor.
- The Ham (The Star of the Show!):
- “City Ham”: For the easiest preparation and serving, it is essential to use a fully-cooked, bone-in “city” ham. This is the classic, brined ham you find in the refrigerated case at your grocery store. The bone adds incredible flavor and helps the meat stay wonderfully moist.
- The Ginger Snap Crust (The Secret Weapon!): This is the brilliant and unique secret to the incredible flavor and texture!
- Ginger Snap Cookies: The spicy-sweet flavor of classic, crispy ginger snap cookies is the perfect, festive complement to the smoky, salty ham. When crushed and packed on, they create an unbelievably crunchy and delicious crust.
- Brown Mustard & Brown Sugar: A classic, tangy brown mustard acts as the perfect “glue” for our crust, while a thick layer of dark brown sugar provides a deep, rich, molasses-like sweetness.
- Bourbon Spritz: A spritz of bourbon over the brown sugar layer adds a wonderful, smoky depth of flavor and helps the cookie crumbs to adhere.
The Roasting Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect, Non-Soggy Crust
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- The Low and Slow Start: The initial, long bake at a low temperature ($250^{\circ}F$) is designed to gently and evenly heat your fully-cooked ham all the way through to the bone without drying it out.
- The Post-Bake Skin Removal: This is a game-changing, professional chef’s trick! After the initial slow cook, the skin on the ham will be very soft and pliable, making it incredibly easy to pull away. Removing the tough, inedible skin is the non-negotiable secret that allows your beautiful, crunchy crust to adhere directly to the soft layer of fat underneath.
- The Layered Crust: Building your crust in stages—mustard, then brown sugar, a spritz of bourbon, and finally the cookie crumbs—is the key to a thick, flavorful, and perfectly adhered crust that won’t fall off.
- Rest, Rest, Rest!: You must let your finished ham rest for at least 30 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Ginger Snap Crusted Ham
This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Low and Slow Bake
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C).
Step 2: Use a sharp paring knife to carefully score a diamond pattern all over the skin and fat of your ham. Make your cuts no more than 2 inches across.
Step 3: Tent your ham with heavy-duty foil, insert a meat thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers $130^{\circ}F$.
Step 4: Remove the ham from the oven. Using tongs, carefully pull away and discard the diamonds of skin and any large sheets of fat that come off with them. Increase your oven heat to 350°F (175°C).
Part 2: The Art of the Ginger Snap Crust
Step 1: Pat the surface of your warm ham dry with paper towels. Brush a liberal coat of your brown mustard all over the ham.
Step 2: Sprinkle and pack on your dark brown sugar until the ham is completely coated.
Step 3: Lightly spritz this sugar layer with your bourbon, and then loosely pack on as much of your crushed ginger snap cookies as you can.
Step 4: Re-insert your thermometer (being sure not to use the old hole) and return the ham to the oven, uncovered.
Part 3: The Final Bake and Rest
Cook the ham for approximately 1 more hour, until the interior temperature reaches
The Most Important Step! Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before you carve it.
Ginger Snap Crusted Ham (A Holiday Showstopper!)
An impressive and unique recipe for a glazed ‘City Ham,’ perfect as the centerpiece for a holiday meal. This dish features a brined, ready-to-cook ham that is first slow-roasted until tender. The skin is then removed, and the ham is coated in brown mustard and packed with a crust of brown sugar and crushed ginger snap cookies. The ham is spritzed with bourbon and returned to the oven to create a sweet, crunchy, and beautifully caramelized exterior.
Ingredients
- 1 city style (brined) ham, hock end
- 1/4 cup brown mustard
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1-ounce bourbon (in a spritz bottle)
- 2 cups crushed ginger snap cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Remove the ham from its packaging, rinse, and drain it thoroughly. Place the ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully score the ham skin and fat in a diamond pattern, about 1-inch deep.
- Tent the ham with heavy-duty foil, insert a meat thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F.
- Remove the ham from the oven. Using tongs, carefully pull away the scored diamonds of skin and any attached sheets of fat.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Dab the surface of the ham dry with paper towels. Brush a liberal coat of mustard all over the ham.
- Pack the brown sugar onto the mustard-coated surface. Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon, then loosely pack on the crushed ginger snap cookies to create a crust.
- Insert the thermometer into a new spot and return the ham to the oven, uncovered. Cook for approximately 1 hour, or until the interior temperature reaches 140°F.
- Let the roast rest for 30 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- A ‘city ham’ is a brined ham that is typically sold ready-to-cook or partially cooked, making it a convenient option for a holiday meal.
- Scoring the ham before the initial bake helps the skin and fat to render and makes it easier to remove before adding the final crust.
- The final crust is a unique and flavorful combination of brown sugar and crushed ginger snap cookies.
- Resting the ham for a full 30 minutes before carving is a crucial step to ensure the meat is juicy and tender.
Storage and Leftover Ideas
- Storage: Store any leftover ham, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- The Best Leftovers: Leftover glazed ham is a true holiday treasure! It makes the absolute best sandwiches, is fantastic diced up in an omelet or a frittata, and you can use the ham bone to make an incredible, flavorful split pea or a bean soup.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a juicy, not dry, holiday ham?
The two most important secrets are to cook it low and slow and to let it rest. Since you are starting with a fully-cooked ham, you are essentially just reheating it. The long, slow bake at a low temperature is the key that gently warms the ham without drying it out. Letting it rest is crucial for retaining all its delicious juices.
Q2: Why do you remove the skin from the ham?
Removing the skin after the initial bake is a brilliant professional trick! The tough, outer skin of a ham will never get truly crispy and is generally unpleasant to eat. By removing it, you are allowing your delicious, crunchy ginger snap crust to adhere directly to the flavorful layer of fat underneath, which results in a much more delicious and texturally pleasing final slice.
Q3: Can I make this with a different kind of cookie for the crust?
Yes, absolutely! This recipe would also be fantastic with finely crushed, buttery shortbread cookies, classic Biscoff® cookies, or even simple vanilla wafers with a little extra cinnamon and ginger added to the crumbs.
Q4: Can I make this ham ahead of time?
For the absolute best, crispiest crust, it is highly recommended to serve the ham on the day it is baked. However, you can save time by crushing your cookies and preparing your other ingredients in advance.
Q5: Can I make this recipe without the bourbon?
Of course! If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can simply substitute the bourbon spritz with a light spritz of apple cider or even just water. The purpose is simply to moisten the sugar layer to help the cookie crumbs adhere.