Food

Southern Palate: Swoon-Worthy Holiday Recipes

Holiday hosting is a long-standing Southern tradition, a time when friends and family gather around the table, sharing laughter, stories old and new, and a feast of holiday flavors. This season, whether hosting in Kiawah River or beyond, we’re sharing beloved recipes that capture the joy and warmth of the holidays.

Sweet Tea-Brined Country Ham is a salty centerpiece steeped in true Southern tradition. Its story stretches back to the Depression-era Savannah, inspiring Harriet Ross Colquitt’s The Savannah Cook Book, filled with a trove of cherished recipes.

With tea, molasses, brown sugar and a slow braise, this holiday ham transforms into a rich, tender and deeply flavorful dish — ready for sharing with family and friends. It’s easy enough to prepare but deserving of a leisurely pace. After all, it wouldn’t be Southern cooking if it didn’t require a little extra time, love and patience.

While you wait, whip up a batch of Charleston Eggnog, the ideal holiday companion to sip while the country ham simmers. Perfect for a chilly evening, the iconic concoction blends eggs, cream, sugar and a smooth splash of whiskey.

And with any leftover eggnog, nothing is more fitting for those with a sweet tooth to swoon over than Eggnog Oatmeal Cookies. This a simple yet scrumptious treat that can be enjoyed throughout the entirety of the holiday season.

Together, this trio creates a feast that feels both comfortable and celebratory. Serve it proudly but be prepared for guests to circle back for seconds.

Sweet Tea–Brined Country Ham
Yield: Serves 28 (with plenty of leftover for biscuits)

Ingredients
1 (14 to 16-pound) uncooked bone-in country ham (hock end removed, rinsed and scrubbed to remove mold and excess salt)
20 teaspoons loose black tea
1 (15-ounce) jar dark molasses (not blackstrap)
About 6 (12-ounce) bottles Shiner Bock beer
1 cup dark brown sugar
24 to 32 whole cloves

Preparation
In a large stockpot, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the tea leaves and half of the jar of molasses. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep, about 1 hour.

Pour 1 gallon of the mixture over the ham, and top with fresh cold water to cover (a spare cooler is the ideal vessel for this). Chill for 12 hours, then drain and cover with the remaining 1-gallon tea mixture and fresh cold water to cover. Chill for 12 hours more, then drain and rinse the ham, and prepare to cook it.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the ham fat-side down in a large roasting pan with a lid (or tent with foil). Add the remaining half jar of molasses and pour in enough beer so that the liquid comes about halfway up sides of the ham. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue to bake for 1½ hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and carefully turn the ham fat-side up (spearing it with carving forks helps secure it for turning). Cover again and bake for 1½ to 2 hours more, until it comes to an internal temperature of 140°F. Remove from the oven and let the ham cool in the liquid.

Raise the oven temperature back to 400°F.

Pour out the liquid from the roasting pan and discard it.

Carefully carve the rind and most of the fat from the top of the ham, leaving about ⅛ inch of fat covering the exterior; discard the rind and excess fat.

Cover the ham evenly with the brown sugar, pressing to help it adhere. Stud the ham evenly with cloves. Return the ham to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes to allow the sugar to melt into the fat and form a flavorful dark brown crust.

Remove from the oven and rest for at least 30 minutes. Thickly slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Charleston Eggnog
Ingredients
1 pint rye whiskey
1-quart heavy cream
10 egg whites
10 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar

Preparation
Cream sugar and egg yolks thoroughly. Add whiskey slowly, stirring constantly, the cream (unwhipped), then the stiffly beaten egg whites. 20-25 servings. 

Eggnog-Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup firmly packed dark or light brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk

For the icing
1 large egg white
1¼ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla bean paste
⅛ tsp. kosher salt
A few splashes of eggnog
Ground nutmeg to sprinkle on top

Preparation
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, grind the oats to a flour. Add the brown sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and process briefly to blend. Toss in the butter cubes and process until the butter is well incorporated and the dough begins to clump and pull off the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough comes together with no dry pockets. You may want to carefully use a spatula to shimmy any dry patches from the corners of the bowl.

Line a work surface with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Turn out the dough onto the plastic wrap and form it into a log about 10 inches long and 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap the dough tightly. Chill the dough until firm, about 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the dough log into 2 dozen rounds, each just shy of ½-inch thick. Place the dough rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden and firm on the edges with a bit of give in the centers, about 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely—they will feel soft but will crisp all the way through as they cool.

In a small bowl, combine the egg white, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth and thick. You could also do this in a medium bowl by hand. Whip in 1 teaspoon of eggnog until smooth, adding a bit more as necessary. To frost the cookies, working 1 at a time, kiss the tops lightly to the surface of the icing.  Don’t fully submerge the cookies to allow some golden cookie to show through the icing.

Let the excess icing drip off for a moment, and then set the iced cookie on a wire rack. Before the icing on the cookie sets, sprinkle with a pinch or two of ground nutmeg. If the icing in the bowl begins to firm while you’re dipping, loosen it with a few drops of water. Allow the icing to dry completely before serving, about 1 hour.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.