Pulled pork

boneless shoulder of pork (about 2½ kg)

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 can of cider
barbecue sauce 

• Mix together 2 tsp each smoked paprika, ground cumin, pepper, and brown sugar, plus 1 tsp salt. Rub over the pork.
  
• Put the pork in a slow cooker, skin-side up, and pour in cider. Cover with a lid and cook on medium between 4 and 8 hrs until falling apart. Check every few hours in case it gets dry – if it does, add another more of cider.
  
• Take it out of the cooker and put in a big dish, poor the liquid into a jug. Cut the skin off, then shred the meat using two forks. Ditch any fatty bits, and skim any excess fat off the surface of the sauce.
• Return the meat to the cooker and pour in some of the liquid and stir well, add 2-3 tablespoons of barbecue sauce and stir well. Season to taste and add more liquid depending on how moist you want the pork to be.
  
• Can be made one day ahead but leave the meat in the juices, warm through in a casserole dish in the oven and shred when needed.
  
• Serve in soft white rolls with some coleslaw.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake

300g digestive biscuits 
50g melted butter
200g white chocolate chopped
200ml double cream
200g soft full fat cheese
150g mascarpone
200g raspberries 

1) Put the biscuits in a food processor and blitz into breadcrumbs. Add the butter and blitz again briefly. 
2) lightly grease a 20cm springform tin, and tip in the crumbs and press down to make a level base. 
3) pop in the fridge to chill while you make the topping. 
4) gently melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. 
5) beat the cream, cheese, mascarpone in a bowl with a wooden spoon until it thickens, don't overbeat or it will become too stiff. 
6) stir in the melted chocolate until smooth. 
7) spoon into the base adding some the raspberries to the mix, leaving some to decorate the top. Level with a knife or spatula until smooth. Decorate with raspberries. 

Chocolate overload muffins

• Makes 6 muffin size cakes

These are so rich, chocolatey and full of calories they are a special occasion cake! To lighten the chocolate hit you could always swap to rich tea biscuits and leave out the cocoas powder. 

• 
  
• 50g unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 150g milk chocolate 
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 8 chocolate digestives biscuits 
• 50g mini marshmallows 
• White chocolate drops to decorate 

1) Put the butter in a heatproof bowl with the cocoa powder, chocolate and golden syrup. Sit over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.

2) Crumble the biscuits into small pieces and stir into the chocolatey mixture. Stir in the marshmallows. Divide between 6 shallow paper cases placed in a muffin tin. Leave to set in the fridge for at least an hour.