Sweet, salty, chewy and chocolatey, rocky road seems truly heaven sent. In fact it’s so loved, that it has its own special day of celebration (that’s the second of June for those playing at home).
With only 5 ingredients the secret to our favourite rocky road recipe is that each element offers its own texture: soft and pillowy marshmallows, chewy coconut and crunchy peanuts are all set in velvety milk chocolate. So with all this going for it, what if I said this beloved treat can be in the pan ready for the fridge in just 10 minutes. Sold?
How to make the best rocky road: key tips
You need to follow a couple of rules when melting chocolate. The most important is: don’t let it come anywhere near water or it will seize. If melting in the microwave, break the chocolate into pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl (don’t use plastic as it can retain moisture). Microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir and repeat until smooth. If melting on the stove top, chop the chocolate into pieces and place in a glass or steel bowl over simmering water. Make sure that the bowl does not touch the water. Keep stirring the chocolate until it becomes smooth. Make sure you stir with a metal or silicone spoon as wooden spoons may also contain water.
Key ingredients in our easy rocky road recipe
What elevates this recipe to our most loved is the addition of Turkish delight. Taking the place of the original dried cherries, Turkish delight not only adds another amazing texture, but also the mysterious floral taste of rosewater. Baking chocolate is designed to be used in cooking and contains less additives than general eating chocolate.
Rocky road makes a great edible gift, especially around Christmas time. Other of our favourite recipes to make and package up with a big red bow are truffles, fudge, and of course jams and marmalade.
Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester
Ingredients
- 500 g CADBURY Baking Milk Chocolate melted
- 200 g marshmallows chopped
- 1/4 cup Woolworths Coconut Fine Desiccated
- 110 g Turkish delight chopped
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
Method
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Step 1Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
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Step 2Pour mixture into a lined slice tin and refrigerate until set.
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Step 3Use a warm knife to cut the slice into small squares.
Recipe Notes
How long does homemade rocky road last?
You can keep rocky road in an airtight container in your fridge up to a week.
Does rocky road have nuts in it?
It’s a matter of ‘cook’s choice’. Some old-school, classic rocky road recipes include nuts (most commonly peanuts), but in the US you’ll often see walnuts or almonds added into the mix.
How to you chop marshmallows?
Anyone who has ever tried to chop marshmallows using a knife knows the frustration. A gooey mass accumulating on the blade. The secret? Use scissors. Lightly spray scissors with oil spray before cutting or if you don’t want to use oil, dip the scissors in water before snipping the marshmallows into smaller pieces.
My rocky road seized - what went wrong?
Although this recipe is ridiculously simple, you always run a slight risk when working with chocolate. Sometimes when melting chocolate, part of it goes grainy and hard. This is called seizing. Seizing occurs when the chocolate is exposed to water or steam.
To prevent this, place the chocolate in a glass bowl then position it over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn the heat off. In this way no water can over boil and splatter up the side and into the chocolate. Melt, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is smooth. Also, when working with chocolate only stir with a metal or silicone spoon – never wooden as wooden spoons can contain moisture even after being dried.
How long does rocky road last?
Depending on how hot your kitchen is, rocky road lasts for up to one week at room temperature. It will last three weeks in the fridge and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Remember to place pieces of baking paper between the layers before freezing so it’s easier so they don’t stick together.
Are there different versions of rocky road?
Once you have the basic formula you can add whatever you feel like. The nuts used originally were walnuts or you can use macadamia, pistachios, almonds or a combination. The chocolate can be white or white or dark. For that vibrant red pop you can use dried cherries, dried cranberries or even chopped red frogs! Take this recipe even higher and sprinkle with freeze dried strawberries or raspberries.
What is rocky road ice cream?
The origins of rocky road are a little bit um, rocky. All we know is that by the 1850s it had appeared in both Australia and America. While Aussies have stuck to the recipe, the Americans deconstructed it and added the ingredients to ice cream. It was the time of the Wall St crash and they used the name to describe the rocky road ahead for the country. While rocky road ice cream seems a very decadent treat for the depression, ice cream is a recession-proof food and sales grew. It is still popular today.
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