This is the best rocky road you’ll ever make
Hinterland Homesteading with Racheal Pascoe
With Christmas on the horizon, are you looking for something really delicious to take to end of year celebrations? This Rocky Road recipe will be sure to impress. In fact, you might need to make a batch prior, just to test it out! It really is the best ever.
The secret is to use quality ingredients. There it is, so simple. It’s Cadbury chocolate, Allen’s lollies, cashew nuts and Pascall marshmallows. I am sorry to say that rocky road made with cheap alternative ingredients tastes just that, cheap. So go the extra mile and splurge on the quality ingredients you need and your Rocky Road will be the best ever!
Ingredients
• Cadbury baking milk chocolate – 180g (3 blocks)
• Allen’s lolly snakes – 2 small bags or one big bag
• Cashew nuts (unsalted) – small bag from baking section in grocery section
• Pascall marshmallows – 3 cups cut into quarters
• Maybe copha (see below)
** Buy the ingredients when they are 40% off to make it more economical.
Method
Cut the lolly snakes into one inch pieces and place in a bowl. (Sample some as you are doing this). Add the nuts and the marshmallow pieces. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat. You need to sit your small saucepan of chocolate inside a medium saucepan which has some water in it. Gently stir the chocolate, keep it moving as it heats up. Be careful not to splash any of the water in with the chocolate. Once the chocolate is smooth and all melted, pour all of it in the big bowl with the other ingredients. Stir it through, covering all ingredients with chocolate. Then turn it out onto the baking tray and spread it out evenly. Refrigerate for an hour or so, until it is hard. Lift the entire rocky road off the tray and using a big knife, cut into pieces. We like postage stamp size pieces, so we can breeze by the fridge and stuff an entire piece in our mouth, so no one notices of course! Smaller size pieces work well if you are doing up little cellophane gift bags to giveaway.
Oh no! Lumpy chocolate
If you have stuffed up the chocolate melting stage and your chocolate is starting to go hard all of a sudden, don’t panic. All you need is a sliver of copha to sort it out. Copha is a vegetable shortening made from 99% coconut and it will immediately smooth out the chocolate. Add the copha and stir like crazy. It is important to not use too much copha, or it will change the chocolate consistency, but it is a good solution if you are having a chocolate emergency. Copha is available from the supermarket.
If you have a nut allergy, you can simply leave them out of the recipe. It tastes just as good, just without the crunch.
We celebrate the lead up to Christmas each year sharing food and time with others. After a busy year, it is lovely to slow down, catch up with others and spend time marvelling at how good this Rocky Road tastes. Life’s simple joys.
Happy Homesteading everyone!
