Chocolate Rock Food

EASY ROCKY ROAD

Steps:

• Grease and line an 18cm square brownie tin with baking paper.
• Place 200g digestive biscuits in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or just the side of your fist until they're broken into a mixture of everything between dust and 50p-sized lumps. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan melt 135g butter or margarine, 200g dark chocolate and 2-3 tbsp golden syrup over a gentle heat stirring constantly until there are no or almost no more lumps of chocolate visible, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool.
• Take the biscuits, 100g mini marshmallows and up to 100g of additional ingredients (dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, honeycomb), if you like, and stir into the chocolate mixture until everything is completely covered.
• Tip the mixture into the lined baking tin, and spread it out to the corners. Chill for at least 2 hrs then dust with icing sugar and cut into 12 fingers.

CHOCOLATE ROCK

Steps:

• Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In a double boiler, melt the semisweet and milk chocolates with the oil over hot (not simmering) water, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Remove the top part of the double boiler and let the chocolate cool to tepid (the chocolate might thicken slightly as it cools). Stir the pecans and chopped white chocolate into the cooled melted chocolate and pour the mixture out onto the prepared cookie sheet. Spread to the desired thickness. Refrigerate 20 - 30 minutes, or until set. Slide a metal spatula under the chocolate to loosen from the foil. Break into uneven pieces.

WHITE CHOCOLATE ROCKY ROAD

Steps:

• Butter a 20 x 5cm deep square baking tray and line with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth.
• Mix the custard creams, pistachios, dried cherries and marshmallows into the melted chocolate mixture, reserving a little of each to decorate later, until evenly coated. Tip the rocky road mixture into the prepared tray, smooth the surface with the back of a wooden spoon, then poke the reserved ingredients and jazzies into the top and scatter with the sprinkles. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hrs until firm, or overnight.
• Run a sharp kitchen knife under a hot tap, wipe dry, then cut the rocky road into 16 squares. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

EASTER ROCKY ROAD

Steps:

• Line a 20 x 30cm traybake tin with 2 sheets of cling film (in a criss-cross pattern). Put the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and melt until smooth and glossy.
• Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder and golden syrup. Mix together until fully combined and leave to cool at room temperature for about 15 mins.
• Put the biscuits in a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to bash them, leaving some pieces chunkier than others. Stir into the cooled chocolate with the marshmallows, cranberries and 150g of the mini eggs.
• Pour the mix into the tin and press down with the back of a spoon until even. Scatter over the remaining mini eggs, pressing them in a little, and leave to set in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Remove from the tin and cut into bars to serve. Will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE ROCKS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with silicone or parchment.
• In a small cup, whisk together the chia and water. Let stand 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat together the shortening, butter, sugars and corn syrup.
• Add chia mixture and vanilla, beat well.
• Add dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients, beat until combined.
• By hand, mix in the rolled oats and chocolate rocks.
• *Optional step: wrap dough and chill 1 hour, up to overnight*.
• Scoop scant tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet.
• Bake one sheet at a time for 10 minutes.