Pulled Pork

I'm posting this so you don't think that all I think about is chocolate (according the my last 4 posts). Not as easy as Kristin's "Easy Southern BBQ" but since I have yet to find a soy free bbq sauce, I make this one. This is awesome, and Hy wants me to just make the sauce so he can put it on other stuff. Not hard, but when you are boiling it down, make sure to NOT FORGET ABOUT IT. Hyrum did, and it all boiled out, and burned, and the acid in the air permeated our entire house making it difficult to breathe because of the burning in our throats (poor Claire was taking a nap upstairs and started coughing).


Pulled Pork

2 cans plain seltzer

1 ½ c. black cherry juice (Knudsen’s)

1 ½ c. red wine or apple cider vinegar

2 c. palm or brown sugar

1 Tbs. dry mustard

2 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

3 tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 3-4 lb. pork roast

You can cook this in a 300°F oven for 4-5 hours or a crockpot for 8-10 hours on low.

Bring everything but the pork roast to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Place pork in crockpot or heavy Dutch oven and pour half the liquid over the roast. Cook in the oven or in crockpot for above times. Boil remaining liquid on med. heat until thickened (about 45 minutes to an hour). Discard bay leaves. When pork is done, pull apart using two forks. Put the meat in with the syrup sauce, and add about 1 c. of the liquid from the Dutch oven or crockpot. Great with baked beans and/or over rice.

It also freezes well.

From here

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 bars (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, broken in ¼ inch pieces, recommended: Ghirardelli

6 TBS unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter. In a medium sized skillet, bring 1/2 inch of water to a slow simmer. Set the saucepan in the skillet over low heat. Stir mixture just until chocolate has completely melted. Remove from heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Pour the cocoa into a pie plate. Line an airtight container with waxed paper. Dip a melon baller or small spoon into a glass of warm water and quickly scrape across the surface of the chilled truffle mixture to form a rough 1-inch ball. Drop the ball into the cocoa. Repeat with the remaining truffle mixture. Gently shake the pie plate to coat truffles evenly. Transfer truffles to the prepared container, separating layers with additional waxed paper. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months.

Layered Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

• 17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped

• 30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)

• 7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 6 tablespoons whipping cream

• ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.

Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.

Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

**I didn't cut the bark, just broke it into pieces

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Layered-Peppermint-Crunch-Bark-5739

Old fashioned fudge

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk*
4 TBS butter**
1 tsp vanilla

Grease an 8x8 square pan
Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer. DO NOT stir again.
Candy should reach 238 degrees F or the soft ball stage. Soft ball stage means you put a small drop of the candy in cold water and instead is dissipating, you are able to form a squishy little ball in between your fingers, kind of like a melty tootsie roll.
Remove from heat and let cool to 110-115 degrees (or just wait a few minutes if you don't have a thermometer).
Add butter and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until it loses it's sheen. This may take a long time. Do not under beat.
Pour into prepared pan and let cool.
Makes approximately 60 pieces.

Adapted from here

To be dairy free:
*full fat coconut milk
**earth balance

Hot Chocolate

If you have a craving and run out, or if you are like me and can't drink commercial hot chocolate

1 TBS cocoa
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS water
1 cup milk*
vanilla (optional)

Mix cocoa, sugar and water in a saucepan on low heat for a few minutes and then add milk and a dash of vanilla. May also add a drop or 2 of peppermint extract. Heat to desired temperature.

Originally from here

*I use rice milk