Rocky Road Crunch Bars
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA EXPRESSIntroduction
If ever there were questions raised about the need for Rich Tea biscuits, then Rocky Road would be all the answer required. A doddle to make, and easily transportable, a batch of these has saved me often when I have to go somewhere with a sweet treat in hand. Bear in mind that rocky road — which indeed used to be known as chocolate refrigerator cake, and often still is — does need to set in the fridge for a good few hours or overnight.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
If ever there were questions raised about the need for Rich Tea biscuits, then Rocky Road would be all the answer required. A doddle to make, and easily transportable, a batch of these has saved me often when I have to go somewhere with a sweet treat in hand. Bear in mind that rocky road — which indeed used to be known as chocolate refrigerator cake, and often still is — does need to set in the fridge for a good few hours or overnight.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Makes: 24 bars
- 125 grams soft butter
- 300 grams best-quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) broken into pieces
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
- 200 grams rich tea biscuits
- 100 grams mini marshmallows
- 2 teaspoons icing sugar (for dusting)
- 9 tablespoons soft butter
- 10 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) broken into pieces
- ¼ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
- 7 ounces Marie/Maria biscuits
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar (for dusting)
Method
- Gently melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan. Scoop out about 125ml / ½ cup of this melted mixture and put to one side.
- Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and then bash them with a rolling pin. You are aiming for both crumbs and pieces of biscuits.
- Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, and then add the marshmallows.
- Tip into a foil tray (24cm / 9 inch square); flatten as best you can with a spatula. Pour the reserved 125ml / ½ cup of melted chocolate mixture over the marshmallow mixture and smooth the top.
- Refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Cut into 24 fingers and dust with icing sugar by pushing it gently through a tea strainer or small sieve.
- Gently melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup or light corn syrup in a heavy-based saucepan. Scoop out about 125ml / ½ cup of this melted mixture and put to one side.
- Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and then bash them with a rolling pin. You are aiming for both crumbs and pieces of biscuits.
- Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, and then add the marshmallows.
- Tip into a foil tray (24cm / 9 inch square); flatten as best you can with a spatula. Pour the reserved 125ml / ½ cup of melted chocolate mixture over the marshmallow mixture and smooth the top.
- Refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Cut into 24 fingers and dust with confectioners' sugar by pushing it gently through a tea strainer or small sieve.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The Rocky Road bars will keep for about 1 week. Once the mixture has chilled and set, cut into bars and store in an airtight container or in the fridge in hot weather. Dust with icing sugar just before serving. The bars (without icing sugar) can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. The bars can be individually wrapped before freezing if you only want to thaw them one at a time. Thaw overnight in a cool place (or in the fridge in hot weather) and dust with icing sugar just before serving.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The Rocky Road bars will keep for about 1 week. Once the mixture has chilled and set, cut into bars and store in an airtight container or in the fridge in hot weather. Dust with icing sugar just before serving. The bars (without icing sugar) can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. The bars can be individually wrapped before freezing if you only want to thaw them one at a time. Thaw overnight in a cool place (or in the fridge in hot weather) and dust with icing sugar just before serving.
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Show more commentsI add a little sea salt to this recipe and it blows people away!
People absolutely adore these! I like to sprinkle them with edible glitter and play around with the ingredients, sometimes adding popping candy, freeze dried raspberries, pistachios, ginger snap biscuits… so so many possibilities!
Perfect. I added some walnuts and giant raisins. Had to hide them as the kids been nonstop.
A firm favourite- we call them Rocky Road clearouts as I have added any left over baking ingredients such as nuts, cherries, dried apricots and cranberries any left over chocolate. But mostly dark chocolate and left over biscuits with the occasional splash of rum or brandy. Utterly delicious.
Made this recipe at least 30 times, usually using milk chocolate, and everyone loves it. I melt the chocolate and butter in a Pyrex bowl in the microwave, stopping while there are still visible pieces of chocolate - they melt after a couple of minutes stirring. It helps to avoid burning the chocolate so it doesn't go grainy or separate out and the mixture is cool enough so the marshmallows don't melt. I usually use an extra 100g or so of chocolate and don't bother putting some chocolate mixture aside to spread on top, just mix it all in. Delicious!
This turned out well the only thing I was disappointed in was that the marshmallows melted too much as I added them. I saw a suggestion online that I freeze them beforehand so I’ll try that next time!
My boy's rugby team love these in between matches -they give them a real energy surge!
These Rocky Road are fabulous! Not too sickly sweet as some recipes are.
I have made these twice now, and they're a great recipe! However, i have modified it slightly by using digestive biscuits instead of rich teas and i also add oreo biscuits that give an extra taste! I do find marshmallows tend to melt when putting them into the mixture so i usually let it cool first for about 20 minutes before putting them in, in case anyone else has had the same problem! taste great though and very quick and easy to make!
I always, always melt my chocolate using the following method and it always, always melts perfectly. So, put the chocolate (and any other ingredients you want to melt with it) in a glass bowl inside a larger bowl and pour water from a recently boiled kettle into the larger bowl to come about half-way up the sides of the smaller bowl (the one containing the chocolate etc). Sometimes I need to do this twice (ie tip the first lot of water out and pour more boiling water into the larger bowl) depending on the quantity of chocolate I am melting. This method always works for me, the chocolate never goes grainy. (Please keep in mind that this is done OFF the heat.) Good luck.
Made these many times, even did heart shapes with gold glitter for a wedding, today putting pink glitter onto heart shaped cut outs for a breast cancer support bake off tomorrow!! They are so easy and so delicious. The Christmas ones are a great twist on a theme and don't last 5 minutes so don't make them too early!
I added some maltesers and took them to our regional netball game for after match teas.....needless to say I am now making these for EVERY home game!!!! They are delicious...Thank you