Rocky road is a type of no-bake slice made up of

milk chocolate Milk chocolate is a solid chocolate confectionery containing cocoa, sugar and milk. Chocolate was originally sold and consumed as a beverage in pre-Columbian times, and upon its introduction to Western Europe. Major milk chocolate producers incl ...

and marshmallows along with other ingredients, which tend to vary by country. In British influenced areas it was previously referred to as ' Tiffin' but the Australian/American name has now come to predominate in the UK. It is usually served in individual portions such as a brownie, or in American cuisine, as an

ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...

flavor. It is made by mixing melted chocolate with other ingredients, before refrigerating to set. It can then be cut into bars or square pieces.

History

The origin of the dessert is debated, but the earliest mention of it dates back to 1853 in Australia, where rocky road was supposedly created as a way to sell confectionery that had spoiled during the long trip from Europe, which were mixed with locally-grown nuts and cheap chocolate to disguise the flavour. According to this origin story, the name comes from the rocky road that travelers had to take to reach the gold fields. Additionally, many American companies claim to have invented rocky road in the 19th century.

Australia

The main ingredients in traditional Australian rocky road are: * glace cherries or raspberries * milk chocolate (sometimes dark or white chocolate is used) * desiccated or shredded

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

, particularly

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...

s * marshmallow The most famous commercial brand of rocky road in Australia, is the

Darrell Lea Darrell Lea is an Australian company that manufactures and distributes chocolate, liquorice and other confectionery. Its headquarters is based in Ingleburn, New South Wales. After 85 years under the ownership and control of the Lea family, the ...

"original recipe" version, sold as "Rocklea Road". This version does not have cherries or raspberries, instead having bigger marshmallow chunks and more coconut. A raspberry version is also available.

United Kingdom

The main ingredients in traditional British Rocky Road are: * dried fruit *

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be ...

(usually digestives) * milk chocolate (sometimes dark or white chocolate is used) * a light dusting of icing sugar on the top (optional)

United States

The main ingredients in traditional American Rocky Road are: * milk chocolate * marshmallow * walnuts or

almonds The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of th ...

The most popular version of rocky road in the U.S. is in

form, which consists of chocolate ice cream, marshmallows (or sometimes a "marshmallow swirl"), and nuts. Although not as popular, slabs of rocky road can also be found at confectioner's shops. The Annabelle Candy Company manufactures a candy bar called "Rocky Road" that has marshmallow, a thin covering of chocolate, and cashews.

Betty Crocker Betty Crocker is a brand and fictional character used in advertising campaigns for food and recipes. The character was originally created by the Washburn-Crosby Company in 1921 following a contest in the '' Saturday Evening Post''. In 1954, ...

has its own recipe for "Rocky Road".

References

{{reflist Australian desserts Confectionery Chocolate desserts

History

Australia

United Kingdom

United States

See also

References