Rocky road is a type of no-bake slice made up of
milk chocolate and
marshmallows
Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar ...
along with other ingredients, which tend to vary by country. In British influenced areas it was previously referred to as '
Tiffin
Tiffin is an Indian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consisting of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in s ...
' 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 ...
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
Gold Fields Limited (formerly The Gold Fields of South Africa) is one of the world's largest gold mining firms. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company is listed on both the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the New York Sto ...
. 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
*
nuts, 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 seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small and ...
s
* marshmallow
The most famous commercial brand of rocky road in Australia, is the
Darrell Lea "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 (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
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bot ...
or
almonds
The most popular version of rocky road in the U.S. is in
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 ...
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
The Annabelle Candy Company, also known as Annabelle's, is a candy manufacturer based in Hayward, California, United States. The company was founded in San Francisco, California in 1950 by Russian immigrant Sam Altshuler, who named the company af ...
manufactures a candy bar called "Rocky Road" that has marshmallow, a thin covering of chocolate, and cashews.
Betty Crocker has its own recipe for "Rocky Road".
See also
*
Tiffin
Tiffin is an Indian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consisting of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in s ...
*
Hedgehog slice
*
Rocky road (ice cream)
Rocky road ice cream is a chocolate flavored ice cream. Though there are variations from the original flavor, it traditionally comprises chocolate ice cream, nuts, and whole or diced marshmallows.
History
According to one source, the flavor ...
*
Rocky Road (candy bar)
References
{{reflist
Australian desserts
Confectionery
Chocolate desserts