0 Rocky Road Bars

My mom always felt that ice cream flavors with vanilla or fruit were better choices than ones with chocolate. So when mom was in charge, it would be vanilla, banana nut or strawberry ice cream for me and my brothers. Orange or rainbow sherbet were acceptable choices as well. But whenever I was allowed to choose (usually when dad was in charge), I would pick rocky road ice cream. Traditionally, rocky road ice cream is a chocolate ice cream with marshmallows and nuts. It was my favorite flavor for as long as anything is a favorite when one is a young child. So I eventually grew out of the rocky road phase and moved on to other flavors like swiss orange chip.

These rocky road bars from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion cookbook really capture the nostalgia of rocky road and will definitely satisfy your inner child. A chocolate cookie base filled with chocolate chips and walnuts, topped with more chocolate and marshmallows and then finished off with a generous drizzle of chocolate. There's absolutely nothing grown up about it, but these bars will please you no matter your age.



Rocky Road Bars
(adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion)

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8ounces) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1/2 cup (firmly packed) light brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups semi or bittersweet chocolate chips
(or 18 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate, chopped the size of chocolate chips)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 to 2 cups miniature marshmallows (depending on how much you like)
Optional drizzle: 1-2 ounces chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9x13 inch pan (or line with parchment).

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and both sugars until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, 2 cups chocolate chips and walnuts.

Pat the dough into your prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes until the edges are set but still soft in the center. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and then marshmallows. Bake about 3-5 minutes more.

Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. Allow bars to cool completely before cutting. I cut mine into 32 bars.