The best rocky road

Name: The best rocky road
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 125 g salted butter, plus a little for greasing; 230 g 72% cocoa dark chocolate, broken into chunks; 120 g milk chocolate, broken into chunks; 1 tbsp golden syrup; 1 orange, scrubbed, zest; 160 g pack Waitrose Duchy Organic Highland Shortbread Fingers; 75 g dried apricots; 25 g Waitrose Italian Cut Mixed Peel; 10 (approx. 1½ x 78g packs) Cadbury Creme Egg Minis; 125 g pink and white marshmallows; 80 g Cadbury Mini Eggs

Each bite of Martha Collison's rocky road is packed with buttery shortbread, bouncy marshmallows and chewy apricots, with chocolate eggs thrown in for good measure. But feel free to go crazy – it's simple and easily customisable.

0 out of 5 stars(0) Rate this recipe

Makes16
CourseCake
Prepare10 mins
Cook5 mins
Total time15 mins
Plussetting

Please note, we take every care to ensure the product, allergen and recipe information displayed is correct. However, should a product be unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution provided. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please always check the product label before use.

125g salted butter, plus a little for greasing
230g 72% cocoa dark chocolate, broken into chunks
120g milk chocolate, broken into chunks
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 orange, scrubbed, zest
160g pack Waitrose Duchy Organic Highland Shortbread Fingers
75g dried apricots
25g Waitrose Italian Cut Mixed Peel
10 (approx. 1½ x 78g packs) Cadbury Creme Egg Minis
125g pink and white marshmallows
80g Cadbury Mini Eggs

Grease a 20x20cm tin, then line it with baking parchment. Put the butter and both chocolates into a large heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of simmering water (don’t allow the bowl to touch the water) and melt together until smooth. Stir in the golden syrup and orange zest.
Put the shortbread into a bowl and, using a rolling pin, bash into pieces about the size of a £1 coin. Roughly chop the apricots and add to the bowl with the mixed peel and creme egg minis. Cut the marshmallows in half and add to the bowl. Using a pestle and mortar or sharp knife, break up the mini eggs, then add half to the bowl and reserve the rest to decorate.
Tip the dry ingredients into the melted chocolate and mix well until each element is well coated. Spread the mixture into the tin using the back of a spatula or wooden spoon – it should look rocky in appearance so don’t press down too firmly. Give the tin a good shake to encourage the melted chocolate to run into the edges of the tin.
Sprinkle the top with the reserved mini eggs, then allow to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Using a sharp knife, cut the rocky road into 16 squares. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Cook’s tip

Dried fruit alternatives
For a recipe so simple, the strength and breadth of opinion on what should make the cut took me by surprise. While quizzing friends on their perfect inclusions, I received rather impassioned and mixed responses. A perfect split of those I asked were horrified at the idea of dried fruit appearing, while others felt it was key. If I’ve made a few enemies with this version, I hope any hard feelings will be forgiven once you’ve tried it. If you’re still not convinced, try chopping up a handful of wine gums to introduce a new texture without using fruit.

Chocolate balance
I’ve opted for a careful balance of milk and dark chocolate to create a rocky road that is rich but not sickly. Lots of the additions are very sugary, so this is slightly darker than most, but trust the process, as it works perfectly against the sweet marshmallows and chocolate eggs. The mix also results in a chocolate base that’s strong enough to hold it all together, while being soft enough to slice easily.

Typical values per item when made using specific products in recipe