Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Pork shoulder
Root Beer
BBQ sauce

Place pork shoulder in crock pot. Pour in root beer until covered. Cook on low 7-8 hours until pork is cooked and shreds easily. Drain root beer and shred. Pour in BBQ sauce, stir, and cook for another hour or so.

Recipe from allrecipes.com. Tested and approved at Andy's 30th birthday party.

Tres Leche Cake

Ingredients
For the cake:

* Vegetable oil
* 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
* 8 ounces sugar
* 5 whole eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


For the glaze:

* 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 cup half-and-half

For the topping:

* 2 cups heavy cream
* 8 ounces sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:

Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

For the topping:

Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe from Libby (originally from Alton Brown), originally tasted at Dinoround. Tested and approved at Andy's 30th birthday party.

Spicy Mexican Chocolate Semifreddo

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 jalapeño chiles, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Two 4-ounce bars bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a greased 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang. In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup cream, the mint and jalapeños to a boil, then remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain; discard the solids.
2. In a double boiler, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and salt at high speed until tripled in volume and thick, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the water and beat the mixture until cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Mix in the jalapeño cream, chocolate and cinnamon; stir in the vanilla.
3. Using clean beaters, mix the remaining 1 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Fold about one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan, cover and freeze until firm, about 5 hours.
4. Uncover the semifreddo and invert onto a chilled platter. Slice crosswise into 6 pieces and sprinkle with more cinnamon before serving.
   
   Keep ribs and seeds in for the spice.
   
   From Rachel Ray magazine. Tested and approved at Dinoround.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients:
- Dates
- Goat Cheese
- Bacon
- Toothpicks

Line a cookie pan with tin foil and place a wire rack over the top. Lay bacon on the wire rack and bake at 375% for 10-15 minutes until cooked but soft enough to wrap around dates.

While bacon is baking, cut a lengthwise slit in dates and remove pit. Fill center with a scoop of goat cheese. Once bacon has cooled wrap pieces around dates and secure with toothpicks. Return to oven until cheese is heated through. Cool and serve!

Possible variation: drizzle with balsamic glaze (as seen at Sazerac in Seattle. Yum!)

Recipe from Amy V. at Mercer. Tested and approved many times!