This recipe couldn’t be any simpler. There is a tendency in the baking world (much in the same way as there is elsewhere, really) to try and label everything. You have a torte, a cheesecake, a Danish pastry, etc. This, therefore, should be called a ‘fridge cake’ because it involves no cooking and it sets in the fridge. Call it as you wish, it still is rocky road. As usual, the origin of the dessert is lost in the mists of time. What is certain, however, is that an ice-cream by the same name predates the candy bar, which originated in the US. It was then exported and adapted for the British market to include staples which the Brits might find more palatable and domestic, such as raisins and/or sultanas.
The name ‘rocky road’ most likely refers to the bumps and humps of the chocolate bar. And that is exactly what I like about it. It looks homemade. The original recipe for this comes from the Gü Chocolate Cookbook, which is chock full of inspiration if you, like me, are a true chocolate lover. However, I have amended it to suit my taste better and use more chocolate (obviously). One word of warning: please use good chocolate. I always buy dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids (Green & Black’s is a good commercial brand and they do organic chocolate too). I know it might be more expensive than your average chocolate, but if you are planning to work with this sometimes fiddle ingredient, quality is essential.
Ingredients
- 500g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 100g milk chocolate
- 75g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 6 digestive biscuits, roughly crushed
- 50g mini marshmallows
- 50g puffed rice
- 50g pistachios
- 20g candied cherries, halved
Method
- Cover a deep 20cm square cake tin with clingfilm or baking parchment, ensuring the clingfilm is left overhanging.
- Break the chocolate into smaller pieces, then put 300g of the dark chocolate, the milk chocolate, the butter and the golden syrup in a large heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan filled by one-third with boiling and simmering water. Ensure the bowl doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl or the chocolate will seize. Gently melt the chocolate mixture over bain mairie until the chocolate is smooth, stirring occasionally to evenly expose the chocolate to the heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In another bowl, combine the pistachios (no need to chop them), marshmallows, puffed rice, cherries and digestive biscuits. Drop them into the chocolate mixture, then mix with a rubber spatula to coat evenly. Pour the mixture into the lined tin and spread it evenly with the spatula, pressing to ensure the mixture is compact. Transfer to the fridge to set for a good 2 hours.
- Melt the remaining 200g dark chocolate over bain mairie, then remove the set chocolate bar from the fridge and pour the melted chocolate on top. Tilt the cake tin to spread the chocolate mixture evenly, but don’t be afraid if the surface still features dents and gaps, that adds to the charm.
- Put the completed cake back in the fridge to set (at least 1 hour), then remove from the fridge and use a warmed knife to cut through or break the bar to ensure an even more rustic look. Enjoy!
Baking with Attitude 