Christmas Roast

If you, like I, are hosting Christmas this year, make all the preparations so you can enjoy the day.
I’m celebrating Christmas on the 24th so this evening I made the roast which will be used for cold-cuts on Tuesday.

This is what you need;

4.5 kg pork shoulder joint
2tbsp white pepper
2tsbp sea salt
1tbsp cracked black pepper
500g unsalted butter

Preheat your oven to 180 fan or gas mark 4.
If the crackling isn’t already scored do so then put the joint in a roasting tray and put all the dry spices onĀ  then 1/3rd of the butter on top (this will be the base for your gravy) of the pork joint. You will need to roast this in the oven for 1 hour/kg, every 15 min oven the oven and with a spoon pour the melted butter then after 1 hour add the 2/3rd of the butter and so one until you have used all the butter and you have a hard crackling. Once done transfer to a cooling rack and when the pork has cooled a bit wrap it in foil and store in i a cool place, but not the fridge as it dries out.

Once this is done you will have loads of meat juice/bits and butter in your tray, pour all of this into a big saucepan, then add water into the tray and boil so you get all the flavor out and add to the saucepan. Then add twice the amount of water and bring to a boil, in a mug mix 2 tbsp of normal flour and 1/5 cup of water and mix so you don’t have any lumps, if you do it’s fine as you have to strain the gravy later anyway.
Mix little by little of the paste in and whisk until the gravy until it’s as thick as you want it season to taste and put into a container, you can put it in the freezer or in the fridge until you need to heat it up again.

Enjoy x

Christmas Chocolate Treats

These little mouthfuls of chocolate heaven are just the BEST! You can mix and match flavors but here are my favorites.
You can find the molds for these on amazon, you need 25mm foil cases.

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Makes 30 of each flavor

  • Mint Chocolate

200g dark chcolate
100g coconut oil/fat
1 tbsp peppermint extract

  • Chocolate Orange

200g milk chcolate
100g coconut oil/fat
1 Orange, zest and juice

  • Salted Caramel Chocolates

100g milk chcolate
100g dark chocolate
100g coconut oil/fat
15 g caramel (if you made the banoffee cupcakes you should have a lot of caramel left, i used this)
10g sea salt

In a heatproof bowl add the chocolate and then coconut fat, when it’s completely melted and smooth add your third ingredients, except if your doing the caramel that you have to add bit by bit once the chocolate is in the cases, then pour into the cases and leave in the fridge to set. Add the sea salt after you have added the caramel.

Put in a little bag and give it to a real chocolate fanatic!

Enjoy x