Do you ever have those moments where you have people over and you're so focussed on making the meal that you forget about dessert? Or maybe when you're invited somewhere for dinner and your host forgets about dessert and asks you to bring some? I mean, in both cases you can nip to the shop and get something ready made. But where's the fun in that?
The last thing you want to do last minute is get the mixer out and make a cake AND some sort of frosting. I mean, if you have a couple of hours, then sure go ahead. But I like to use up all the "junk" left over in my baking cupboard. You know, all the little bits that you bought to make icings and decorations - like marshmallows and bars of chocolate. Or even cereal.
I mean let's be honest, who doesn't love a rocky road slice? Not only are they covered in chocolate but they have so much good stuff in them. Don't misunderstand me, there is NOTHING healthy about rocky road. They're just incredibly delicious. There's a coffee shop nearby that I like to go to sometimes if I'm taking someone out for brunch or if I just fancy going somewhere different to read my book and they have a rocky road with mint Aero in it that's incredibly hard to resist.
I call my favourite rocky road recipe Bumpy Road. That's because I like to put popcorn in it. A lot of popcorn. It's still bumpy but not as hard as rock. So it's bumpy road. And oh so satisfying. My advice, have it with a good strong cuppa. Speaking of, these don't just have to be dessert after dinner. Make them for bake sales, coffee mornings, friends coming over, a Tuesday night or, my all time favourite, for watching The Great British Bake Off.
Bumpy Road
600g Dairy Milk (original)
100g white chocolate
150g digestive biscuits, broken into pieces
100g mini marshmallows
1 cup popcorn kernels
vegetable oil
Icing sugar for lining
Cover the bottom of a small saucepan with vegetable oil and pour in the popcorn kernels. Put on a medium heat and cover with the lid. Once the popping slows down, take the corn off the heat and when the popping stops completely, pour the popcorn into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Put some just boiled water in a small saucepan and set a medium sized Pyrex bowl in or just above the water. Add the Dairy Milk to the bowl and just let it melt. There's no need to have it heating over a hob, the hot water will do the job.
Pour the biscuits, white chocolate, mini marshmallows and cooled popcorn into a large mixing bowl. Be careful not to get any unpopped kernels in the bowl as well or someone will have a nasty surprise when they bite down. While the chocolate is still melting, line a rectangular or square baking dish with baking paper and sift over icing sugar. It doesn't matter what size you use. If you use an average sized square one, your bumpy road will be deep. If you use a long rectangular one, the bumpy road will be longer. It's up to you.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl and mix until everything is coated and mixed together. Pour everything into the baking dish and level it all out. Put it in the fridge for half an hour to firm up. If you don't have half an hour before you have to leave, put it in the fridge for at least 10 minutes until you have to leave and then take the dish to your host's house and use their fridge while you sit though dinner.
Once the bumpy road is set, cut in into slices and dust over some more icing sugar. Now eat. Eat it all.