Rocky Road
Rocky road is the no-bake chocolate slab where chunks of biscuit and marshmallow sit in a glossy, set-chocolate matrix. Every household has its own version: this one keeps it British, with digestives for the crunch, mini marshmallows for the bounce, and crushed Crunchie bars for the honeycomb hit.
Overview
A no-bake fridge slab built on milk chocolate, butter and golden syrup, studded with crushed digestives, mini marshmallows and pieces of honeycomb chocolate bar. Ten minutes of melting and folding, then a couple of hours in the fridge. Cut into squares for a lunchbox treat or stack on a plate for a casual gathering.
Ingredients
Chocolate base
- 400 g milk chocolate (broken into pieces)
- 125 g golden syrup
- 125 g unsalted butter
Mix-ins
- 100 g mini marshmallows
- 200 g digestive biscuits (roughly chopped)
- 200 g honeycomb chocolate bar (chopped, e.g. Crunchie)
Method
Stage 1 - Melt the chocolate
- Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy lift-out later.
- Combine the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a heatproof bowl.
- Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water) and stir gently until everything has melted into a smooth, glossy mixture.
- Alternatively, microwave in 30-second bursts at medium power, stirring between each, until melted.
Stage 2 - Fold in the mix-ins
- Take the bowl off the heat and let the chocolate cool for a couple of minutes so the marshmallows don't immediately melt.
- Add the mini marshmallows, chopped digestives and chopped Crunchie bars.
- Fold gently with a spatula until everything is coated in chocolate.
Stage 3 - Set
- Tip the mixture into the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon to level the surface.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.
- Lift out using the parchment overhang, peel off the paper, and cut into 16 squares.
Notes
- Cool the chocolate first: Marshmallows shrink and melt if folded into hot chocolate; let it sit until barely warm to the touch. The biscuits don't care.
- Honeycomb bar choice: Crunchie is the classic; Cadbury Daim or any honeycomb-set chocolate works. Avoid soft toffee bars, they go gooey rather than crunchy.
- Golden syrup, not corn syrup: Golden syrup brings a buttery caramel note that's the bedrock of British rocky road; light corn syrup makes the slab sweeter and one-note.
- Don't over-press: Pressing too firmly compacts the marshmallows and squeezes the chocolate out around the edges. A gentle level is enough.
Variations
Dark chocolate: Swap the milk chocolate for 70% dark, or use half-and-half for a less sweet, more grown-up version. Glace cherries: Add 100 g chopped glace cherries with the marshmallows for a kitsch retro twist. Pretzel rocky road: Replace half the digestives with broken salted pretzels for a sweet/salty version. White chocolate ripple: Drizzle melted white chocolate over the top before chilling and run a knife through to swirl.
Storage
- Keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in a cool place.
- Refrigerate in warmer weather; the chocolate softens above ~22°C.
- Freezes well for up to 3 months wrapped tightly; defrost in the fridge.
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