Make Rocky Road

Rocky road is a traditional chocolate confectionery often made for school fairs and bazaars. It is popular as a home treat too, delighting both adults and children alike. Consisting of a tempting mixture of marshmallow, coconut, cherries, nuts, and chocolate, it's irresistible. It's also easy to make because there is no baking involved, only melting of the chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup desiccated or shredded coconut
  • 250g/8.8 oz marshmallows; best to use both pink and white (traditional)
  • 1/2 cup mixed chopped nuts (softer nuts are best, for example: walnuts, pecans, unsalted cashews, macadamias, etc.)
  • 1/4 cup glazed/glacĂ© cherries, or raspberry sweets
  • 375g/13.2 oz block cooking/baking chocolate (sweetened)

Steps

  1. Sprinkle a half quantity of the coconut on the base of the baking dish.
  2. Place the marshmallows on top of the coconut. Leave spaces between the marshmallows and the sides of the dish.
  3. Sprinkle over the marshmallows with the chopped nuts, glazed cherries and the remaining coconut.
  4. Break the chocolate into small pieces.
  5. Add the chocolate pieces to a double boiler. Heat gently to melt. Stir regularly.
  6. Pour the chocolate over the marshmallows. Pay extra attention to the sides around the marshmallows and fill these with chocolate. Also take the chocolate to the edge of the dish. If you're not sure that the chocolate is filling the cracks, ease it in a little using a teaspoon. The melted chocolate acts as the "binder" for the rocky road, so it needs to cover the ingredients well.
  7. Put into the refrigerator to set. Leave for several hours, or overnight. If you are leaving it in overnight, cover to prevent odor transfer.
  8. Tip out of the baking dish. It may need levering using a knife and be prepared for some of the coconut to come spilling out. Break the rocky road into uneven pieces. The more uneven the better, as this is the traditional "shape" for rocky road. Place onto a serving plate or store in an airtight container. If your kitchen is warm, keep refrigerated.
  9. Finished.



Tips

  • If wished, you can line the baking dish with wax paper or baking parchment, especially if you're not sprinkling a layer of coconut over the base. Remember though, that rocky road is good broken into chunks and doesn't have to be cut into perfect shapes unless you really want to!
  • An interesting and easy-to-eat variant is to spoon the mixture into cupcake cases instead. This makes the rocky road easy for eating or for selling at bake sales. To do this, break down the ingredients to distribute evenly between each cupcake case. The cherries and marshmallows are probably best chopped in halves, as you won't be able to break up this rocky road version once refrigerated. Fill each cupcake case with the smaller quantity of ingredients in the order as outlined above, and refrigerate until ready.
  • Vegetarians can use vegetarian or vegan certified marshmallows.
  • If you don't own a double boiler, you can use a steamer with a heatproof glass bowl sitting over the top. Make sure that it goes right to edges, though, to avoid steam dripping back into the chocolate. Or, use wikiHow's article on making a double boiler.

Warnings

  • Always take care not to let water mix with chocolate when melting it. Water will ruin chocolate on contact.
  • Make a nut-free version for those with allergies to nuts.

Things You'll Need

  • Baking dish
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Double boiler
  • Spoon for stirring and pouring melted chocolate
  • Serving plate or storage container (airtight)
  • Wax paper or parchment/baking paper (optional)

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