Rocky Road Candy

Here's a quick and easy holiday candy recipe that can be made entirely in your microwave. It is a great and tasty treat, and especially easy to do with kids!

Rocky road ice cream was invented in 1929 by William Dreyer, who was in the ice cream business with his partner Joseph Edy -- and yes that is today's Edy's ice cream for those of you in the east, and Dreyer's ice cream for those of you in the west -- the ice cream is marketed under 2 names to honor both founders. As the story goes, William Dreyer added walnuts and bits of marshmallow (snipped with his wife's scissors) to chocolate ice cream. Prior to this point in time, the only ice cream flavors available i he US were vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, so Dreyer's new flavor became a hit. Dreyer and Edy decided to call the flavor "Rocky Road" as a nod to the Great Depression, and the flavor took off from there.



This version of rocky road candy is made with peanuts, but you can substitute any nuts (or any mix-ins in general) that you want. The original recipe came out of one of those little recipe mini mags, but I tore the page out, so I don't recall which one. The original recipe can also be found on the Eagle Brand site.

First, melt some semi-sweet chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk in the microwave. Do this on high in the microwave at one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the chips are dissolved. When the chocolate is close to melted, shorten the intervals to 30 seconds.

Let the chocolate cool down about 5 minutes.

Then, combine the peanuts and marshmallows in a large bowl, and stir in the chocolate

Mix until well-combined, and spread in wax paper-lined 9"x13" pan.

Chill in the fridge until solid (around 2 hours), and then cut into squares. This candy can spend several days at room temperature.

Because this is such an easy treat, requiring no baking, it is great as an activity to do with kids, or to whip up if you want a quick treat to bring to your office or give as gifts.

It is easily customizable, I used marshmallows and peanuts, but you could easily substitute whatever you want, in whatever amounts you wish.


Rocky Road Candy
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

• 2C (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbls butter
• 2 C dry roasted peanuts, salted
• 1-10.5 oz package mini marshmallows

Directions

1. In microwave safe bowl, combine chips, butter and condensed milk
2. Microwave on high in minute and half minute intervals, stirring after each interval until smooth
3. Let cool 5 minutes
4. Combine peanuts and marshmallows in large bowl. Add chocolate and stir to combine.
5. Spread mixture in a wax paper-lined 9"x13" pan, and refrigerate 2 hours
6. Lift candy out of pan and cut into squares. Cover loosely and store at room temperature.