Rocky road
Rocky road is a much-loved no-bake chocolate treat in Britain and Australia, with a bumpy top that looks like a rocky path. Dark and milk chocolate melted with butter wrap around crunchy cookie pieces, chewy marshmallows, sweet-tart cranberries and rich walnuts, so every bite holds a little surprise.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rising or chilling
- 2 hr
- Total time
- 2 hr 25 min
- Method
- Chilled
Ingredients
Chocolate mixture
Mix-ins
For dusting
Instructions
Step 1
Line a 20 cm square pan with parchment paper, leaving the paper a few centimeters higher than the sides. Set chocolate clings to the pan, and the parchment lets you lift the slab out in one piece. The pan is ready when the paper lies snug against the bottom and the four corners aren't puffing up.
Step 2
Break 200 g dark chocolate and 100 g milk chocolate into small pieces and put them in a saucepan with 125 g unsalted butter and 45 g golden syrup, then warm over low heat, stirring gently, for about six minutes. Golden syrup keeps the set chocolate soft and easy to cut instead of brittle. The mixture is ready when it is smooth, glossy and fully melted with no pieces of chocolate left.
Step 3
Put 150 g digestive biscuit crumbs in a plastic bag and tap them lightly with a rolling pin into uneven pieces, some the size of a fingernail and some fine crumbs. The large pieces add crunch, while the fine crumbs help bind the slab together. They're ready when most are medium-sized pieces and only about a quarter is fine crumbs.
Step 4
Let the chocolate cool for about five minutes, then add the biscuits, 100 g mini marshmallows, 60 g dried cranberries and 50 g roughly broken walnuts and fold gently. Chocolate that's still too hot will melt the marshmallows out of shape. The mixture is ready when everything is coated in glossy chocolate and the marshmallows are still whole.
Step 5
Tip the mixture into the pan and press it gently with the back of a spoon so it fills the corners, while leaving the top a little bumpy. Pressing just enough makes the slab hold together without crushing the biscuits. The top is ready when it covers the pan completely with marshmallows and walnuts poking up.
Step 6
Put the pan in the fridge for about two hours so the chocolate sets completely hard. Chilling it long enough lets you cut clean edges without the chocolate running. It's set when the slab doesn't shift as you tilt the pan and the chocolate surface has turned matte.
Step 7
Lift the slab out by the parchment, sift 10 g powdered sugar over the top, then cut it into squares by pressing a large knife straight down. Pressing straight down instead of sawing keeps the biscuit pieces inside from breaking apart. It's finished when the cut faces clearly show white marshmallows, red fruit and golden biscuits.
Equipment
- Square pan
- Parchment paper
- Small saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Refrigerator
- Kitchen scale
Tips
- For a change of flavor, swap the cranberries for dried cherries, raisins or candied ginger.
- A pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled on top before the chocolate sets deepens the chocolate flavor.
- If you don't have golden syrup, use the same amount of honey or corn syrup.
Storage
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, rocky road lasts about a week. In cool weather you can leave it at room temperature for two days, but in hot weather keep it chilled so the chocolate doesn't melt.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The slab falls apart and crumbles when cut.
- There were too many mix-ins for the amount of chocolate, or the mixture wasn't pressed firmly enough. Weigh the ingredients carefully and press the mixture into the pan more firmly.
- The chocolate turned streaky and white after setting.
- The chocolate got too hot or came into contact with water. Next time, melt it over very low heat, use completely dry tools and take the pan off the heat as soon as the chocolate has melted.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
