10-minute rocky road bars.

i cannot take credit for this recipe. and i hope i'm not outing a secret recipe from the owen family vault. this is one of my very favorite things to make around the holidays, and i'd like to shout about it from the rooftops!

these rocky road bars are sOoOoO easy to make, and ridiculously delicious. and SIMPLE.

my friend's mama (same mama who made the awesome birthday pancakes) always made these for her christmas cookie trays every year growing up. all of her cookies are equally delicious and delightful in unique ways, but i'd always find myself gobbling these down as soon as i could get my little paws on them.

it wasn't until around high school when i asked how to make them. i thought it had to be the most complex and time consuming thing everrr with respect to how freaking delicious they taste!!! turns out, there are only 2 key ingredients and they take 10 minutes to make..... say what?!?!

hershey's chocolate bars with almonds get melted over a double boiler. i've been adding a tablespoon of coconut oil the last several times i've made these because it keeps the chocolate extra moist and adds the ever-so slightest twinge of coconut flavor to the bars. if you don't like coconut, use a little pat of butter. another friend's mama (also obsessed with these bars) discovered that doing a combo of dark chocolate and milk chocolate is the way to go. so the combo has become an essential part of this rocky road regimen. yaasss. so fab.

once the chocolate is all melted, you're pretty much done! yep! this is SOOO EASY, PEOPLE!!!! just let the chocolate cool for a few minutes so it doesn't melt the mallows. if you want the mallow to be extra swirly like a marshmallow creme, then add them while the chocolate is still hot. i prefer that the mallows are solid in the finished bars, personally.

add one whole bag of mini marshmallows to the slightly cooled bowl of melted chocolate. gently mix until the marshmallows are all coated with chocolate.

pour the mixture into a parchment lined baking dish. pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden. this photo below is what my dreams are made of. i'd like a bed made of this, please.

once the chocolate has solidified, flip over the entire baking sheet onto a cutting board. peel off the parchment paper. spray a large knife with cooking spray or rub with butter or coconut oil. cut the marshmallowy, chocolatey goodness into 1 inch strips, and then cut again crosswise to make little squares.

YUM! they're done! store them in a parchment lined container in the fridge. they get kind of melty when left out on the counter.

these are a serious hit. thanks to mama michele, i've been making these every christmas for my friends and everyone is like, "HOLY LORDYYYY WHAAAAAT IS THIS?!" i brought this particular batch to a holiday lunch at work yesterday, and they all got eaten up in a flash.

some informal reviews whilst eavesdropping on coworkers:

"i like the varying textures between the marshmallow, almonds, and chocolate when you bite into it!"

"not too sweet! that's a good thing!"

"those are bomb."

"i spied the last one on his plate...i asked him if he was going to eat it."

"any more rocky road?!!?"

please oh please make these. if you fancy chocolate and marshmallow, your life will forever be changed.

Rocky Road Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes, Freeze Time: 30-45 minutes

Total Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients:

about 20 ounces* of Hershey's chocolate with almonds (if you can find "Giant" bars, that's the easiest. I used a hodge podge mixture of bars that I had around, some with almonds, some dark chocolate some milk chocolate.)
10 ounces (1 bag) mini marshmallows
1 TB coconut oil or butter (optional)

*i think mama michele's recipe for this calls for 4 "giant" hershey bars with almonds; i'm an extra mallow-y fan, so i found that about 20 ounces total was a good amount of chocolate to just coat the marshmallows.

Instructions-

Boil a few inches of water in a pot. Place a heat-proof (I use glass) bowl that just rests inside the pan, but doesn't touch the hot water. Break apart the Hershey's chocolate bars and place into the heat-proof bowl. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir the chocolate frequently until it is melted. Remove bowl from heat and turn off the burner. Let the chocolate cool about 3 minutes.

Add one whole bag of mini marshmallows into the bowl of melted chocolate. Gently mix until the chocolate coats the marshmallows.

Pour the mixture into a parchment lined baking pan and gently spread into the corners or shake until evenly dispersed. Place the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened a bit.

Turn the baking pan upside-down onto a cutting board and remove the parchment paper. Grease a large knife with cooking spray or butter. Carefully cut strips, and then crosswise to make squares.

Store in parchment lined tins, a sealed freezer bag, or an airtight container. The chocolate will stay moist for up to 2 weeks this way.

YUM YUM YUM! enjoy and spread the mallow love to your friends & family!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!