Hurray for weekend and chocolate.....

It's Friday and it's been a really good one so far. I've had a great response to a commission that I'm working on. Bought a new bag at a bargain price. H is coming home for the weekend. A will be off work, so lots of quality time with him. I've got drinks with new friends on Monday. We can have a lie in tomorrow morning. The only thing that could top it all, is chocolate...

Those who know me may be aware that one of my motto's is 'more is less, unless it's chocolate'. It seems to be a bit of a family trait, although we don't go overboard. H loves rocky road bars. I make up batches and send them to her in food parcels all wrapped up in little brown cardboard boxes, tied with string. (Sounds like something out of the sound of music, doesn't it...) She really appreciates the retro (or old school as she calls it) packaging and the contents, as do her friends. She told me that they tell her they're the best ones they've ever tasted. She also tells me that the postman teases her about the packaging. He obviously doesn't appreciate the sensibilities of vintage ephemera.

I'm going to make some for her to take back, so hope I can remember the recipe. I've got my reputation to live up to. They are moreish, although not my favourite chocolate delicacy. But there is chocolate truffle torte secreted in the freezer loaded with rum for emergencies...I'm glad that I  haven't succumbed yet because it's also loaded with double cream.

Here's my rocky road recipe:-

Ingredients:

100g shortbread biscuits broken into small pieces
25g marshmallows, either use mini ones or chop into small pieces, I dust with a little icing sugar to prevent them from sticking together
25g glace cherries halved or quartered and dusted with icing sugar
225g chocolate broken into small pieces
75g butter


Method:

•  Line a 19cm square baking pan with baking parchment
• Combine the biscuits, cherries and marshmallows together
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water ensuring that the water in the pan doesn't boil or touch the bowl.
• When melted set aside to cool for a little while then add to the other ingredients.
• Put into the prepared dish making sure that it is level. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours...yum...

This isn't really baking. It's just really combining ingredients together and is so easy that small children can help as long as care is taken with melting the chocolate. I like to use the best ingredients possible. It makes about a dozen pieces and so still works out much cheaper than any that you would buy. I use un-dyed glace cherries I think they have a much better flavour. H likes this made with Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate. It would be great to use home made biscuits but that never happens in our house...as soon as I make a batch they are wolfed down! So I use ready made shortbread or malted milk...I can't remember which I used last time so have made up a batch using half and half...