Chocolate Rocky Road

Noo's Note:

Who doesn't love chunks of rich dark chocolate studded with yummy edible jewels....my family just love this version of an old favourite, and the fact that it contains fruit and nuts is a little better for the children too. Feel free to use your own choice of fruit and nuts etc. Don't leave out the chilli though-it's not spicy, just adds a little something to it! Try it smashed up in fine pieces on vanilla ice cream-yum!

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 block

• 200 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solid
• 1/2 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• 100 g mixed unsalted nuts, for example, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds or 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 100 g mixed dried fruit, for example, golden raisins, dried mango, cranberries, cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/ 400 degrees F/ Gas 6.
2. Put the chopped chilli pieces and the nuts and seeds on a tray and bake for about 5 minutes until toasted-remove from oven, cool slightly, then roughly chop.
3. Smash up the chocolate and melt it in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Once the chocolate is smooth and melted take the bowl off the heat and leave to one side.
4. Mix together the fruit and nuts in a bowl, and reserving a large handful, mix the remainder into the melted chocolate.
5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and spoon in the chocolate mixture, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the reserved fruit and nuts, and leave to cool/ or place in fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Once it has set, smash it up into bite sized chunks. This will keep for a week in airtight container.

Reviews

[loof]

Great stuff! I used a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper flakes instead of the minced chili and that worked well. I love the hint of heat with the chocolate and it's great with the fruit and nuts too. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

[Sydney Mike]

I did take a tip from the first reviewer & used a dash of cayenne pepper instead of the fresh red chili, & then I used dried mango & dried cranberries to finish it off this wonderful rocky road treat! Another time I might just change the fruits around to have a different version, but whatever I do, the recipe I'll keep! Many thanks! [Tagged & made in Please Review My Recipe]

[Sharon123]

Wow, I sure enjoyed this! I used dried cranberries and apricots, macadamia and walnuts, and a few roasted sunflower seeds. I didn't have a fresh chile, so added in a dash of cayenne pepper. I used Hershey's dark chocolate. Loved it! Thanks!