Rocky Road cookie candy fudge

I had a plan.

It was a good plan and it involved me being totally organised with teacher gifts this Christmas.

Now I'm not going to bore you with the details of this super amazing plan, but lets just say everything did not go according to plan which makes this year pretty much like the last few years.

Paper napkin Coco White Greengate from Simply Sweet Home

But I did manage to come up with this nut free Rocky Road which was in the plan so I'm calling this year a success.

Because I made this nut free I added some Oreo Cookies for a bit of crunch. I also used Turkish Delight, which I know not everyone likes or can easily find so in the recipe I just say to cut up your favorite candy bar or lollies instead and it will work out amazing.

Lidded bowl - Sophie Vintage bowl and lid available from Simply Sweet Home

Rocky Road Candy Fudge makes around 60 pieces, you can halve the recipe if you like. I used Lindt Milk Chocolate. Conversions are approximate in this recipe.


200g (7oz) white marshmallows 
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk (not low fat)
1/4 tsp salt
500 g (18 oz ) milk chocolate chopped into small pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g (5 1/4 oz)Oreo Cookies
150 g (5 1/4 oz) marshmallows
165 g (5 3/4 oz) candy bars or lollies (I used Fry's Turkish Delight bars)
400g (14oz) milk chocolate extra

Line 2 trays 15cm X 20cm (6" X 8") with foil.

Chop up the cookies, marshmallow and candy in a large bowl (use a bigger bowl than shown in picture as you will need to mix in chocolate later.) I like to use scissors to cut marshmallows and candy.

Chop the 500g (18oz) chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl with the vanilla extract.

Pop marshmallows, sugar, evaporated milk and salt into a saucepan on medium low heat, stir until the marshmallows melt. Stir the mixture over the heat for another 5 to 7 minutes, do not allow it to boil.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with the chocolate and allow to sit for a minute or 2.

Using electric mixer beat the chocolate fudge mixture for a couple of minutes at low speed. All the chocolate should be melted.

(note this is a picture from a previous fudge the milk chocolate fudge will appear lighter in colour)  

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, use the back of the spoon to level the mixture until it looks pretty smooth

Chop the remaining 400g milk chocolate in small pieces and melt in the microwave at medium heat for 2 minutes, allow to sit stir and then heat for a further 1 or 2 minutes, mix until smooth.

Pour just over half the mixture into the prepared marshmallow/cookies mixture and gently use spoon to try and coat as evenly as possible. Spoon the mixture onto the top of the fudge and press in as evenly as possible. Pour or spoon the remaining melted milk chocolate over the top of the rocky road fudge making sure that there are no bare candy bits showing.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When the mixture is set, turn upside down on a cutting board and peel off the foil. Using a sharp knife cut fudge into desired number of pieces.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores. 

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog. Links to Simply Sweet Home are not sponsored however I am related to the owner.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission.  

Festive Macaron Rocky Road - or things to do with failed macarons

Yeah well this is one of those things that I thought of after a minor baking mishap.

I have been trying to work out a new recipe for chocolate macarons that is a bit more stable, I can't get the chocolate I used to use and so now sometimes the tops of the macarons go a little bit wrinkly.

And that makes me a little bit sad.


But only just a little bit sad because I am going to share something with you all about macarons. They don't have to be perfect (well unless your selling them to people then they should be). If you bake up a batch and you, your friends or family think they taste good I say that's a success whether they have perfect 'feet' or shiny even flat tops or not.

Anyway totally disregarding that little gem of wisdom I have just shared I was looking at my wrinkly macarons thinking hmmm, you know I wonder what I could do with all these not completely perfect macarons.

So this is what I came up with.

Rocky Road is so easy that the kids can help you make it, and don't despair if you don't happen to have any macarons sitting around I do have a macaron free version in my newly released cookbook Sweets on a Stick which is available here at Amazon.



Or the book depository (Click HERE)

Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)





Festive Macaron Rocky Road - makes around 30 large pieces

350g (12.2 oz) melted white chocolate - I melt mine in the microwave on 50% heat for burst of 90 sec
150g (5.3oz)white marshmallow cut into pieces with kitchen scissors

1/2 cup pistachio nuts unsalted, shelled
2/3 cup dried cranberries
150g (5.3 oz) green macarons (unfilled or filled)

Line a 20cm square tin (8") with tin foil.

 In a large bowl mix the melted white chocolate, marshmallows, pistachio nuts and dried cranberries until evenly coated. Add the macarons and carefully mix in.

Spread into the prepared tins and leave until set. Once set turn out of the tray, remove the tin foil and use a sharp clean knife to cut into pieces.

Update - in my rush to share this great idea with you I missed saying that I did this up with MacTweets in mind, I have missed contributing to the month macaron MacTweets challenge quite a bit lately but with challenge Mac Attack #25 Seasons & Holidays Macarons was one not to be missed.

You should pop over to the site and check all the other lovely Mactweeters contributions to Challenge #25 in the new year.

It's a Rocky Road to Chocolate Nirvana Cheesecake cupcakes

After the success of my rock your socks off rocky road cheesecake the other day I decided to go all out and make them even more decedant.

So I added more chocolate to make the actual cheesecakes chocolate. Now they have the chocolatey Oreo base, a creamy chocolate cheesecake and the super yummy chocolate rocky road surprise inside and sprinkled on top.

Remember when your cooking to use a good quality chocolate that you would be happy to eat, cause you know, your gonna be eating it. The taste of the chocolate I used really came through in the finished cheesecake.

As I mentioned the last time you can buy your Rocky Road already made up from a shop or make up your own. I have included a recipe below but if you don't like turkish delight just chop up your favorite candy bar and add it instead.

The recipe is pretty much the same as the one I posted the other day with just the extra chocolate added in - I know - but it really was THAT good that I had to share it in it's entirety. Well I thought so anyway. Plus I took some new photo's as well.

Rocky Road to Chocolate Nirvana Cheesecake

Rocky Road (keep in an airtight container up to 2 weeks)

300g (10oz) milk chocolate melted (I melt mine in the microwave at med-low heat bursts of 60-90 seconds, do not be tempted to heat higher or the chocolate may burn)
150g (5oz) marshmallow (I use pascals brand and chopped into quarters with scissors)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
2 bars Turkish Delight (55g each) or favorite chocolate bar chopped into small pieces (3.5 to 4oz)
1/3 cup nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and spoon onto a tray covered with parchment paper or tin foil. Press down until a couple of cm (or 3/4inch) high and leave to set. Once set cut into small pieces.

Cheesecake - makes 14 large mini cupcakes or around 20 - 24 regular cupcakes
14 Oreo cookies (or up to 24 if making smaller cupcake size cheesecakes)
625g (21oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1 tin condensed milk
3 eggs at room temperature
200g (7oz) dark chocolate melted and cooled
14 large muffin papers (I bought these ones from woolies in the baking section they come in a brown box)

Preheat oven to 140C.

Line the muffin tins with the muffin/cupcake papers. Place one single oreo in the bottom of each paper. Put a piece of rocky road into each paper on top of the Oreo cookie.

Beat the cream cheese using a mixer at medium speed until just smooth, add the condensed milk and mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

Add the cooled dark chocolate and continue to mix at low speed until combined.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin papers dividing mixture evenly between the papers. If you are using large ones like I did the mixture should make 12, if you only have smaller cupcake cases do not overfill the cases as the mixture will rise a little during baking, make them around 3/4 full.

Bake until the mixture is just setting in the center, around 16- 20 mins for the larger size muffin cupcake, check after 14mins if you are making smaller sized cakes.

Allow to cool in the trays for 10-15min and then pop in an airtight container in the fridge until chilled.

Serve topped with extra Rocky Road.

Keep in airtight container up to 3 days in fridge.

Oh and if you like cheesecake like I like cheesecake, I have a recipe for cheese-cake pops in my book which is due for release in just over a month. Yum!

Rock your socks off - Rocky Road and Oreo Mini Cheesecakes

I was feeling a bit peckish the other day. I had decorated cookies sitting around but just didn't feel like something that sweet.

I knew in a few days I'd be baking up batches of macarons and cake pops for the local school fete so I didn't really want to go there.

I wanted something creamy, chocolatey, with a little bit of crunch and a lot of flavor, so I created these easy cheesecakes with Oreo's as the base and Rocky Road for a bit of a flavour hit.

I made them cupcakes sized, cause it feels so wrong to make a whole cheesecake to eat yourself, but if your just having a couple of cupcakes a day that's ok.

Well that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Yup this was my lunch, apparently from my research (on Facebook) that's  perfectly acceptable

You can buy your Rocky Road already made up from a shop but I've included the recipe I use cause it's pretty easy and then I can make it like I want. Remember it's rocky road not rocket science. Pretty much just mix in what you want to the chocolate, as long as you kinda stick to the same amounts it should work. I left out the nuts so the kids could eat it easily.

Apparently if your in the US chances are you don't like turkish delight (rose)- Is that for real? My editor made me take anything Turkish Delight out of my book. Anyway just replace it with any type of candy bar you like chopped up and it should taste just as delicious. Like I said not rocket science.

Rock your socks off Cheesecake

Rocky Road (keep in an airtight container up to 2 weeks)

300g (10oz) milk chocolate melted (I melt mine in the microwave at med-low heat bursts of 60-90 seconds, do not be tempted to heat higher or the chocolate may burn)
150g (5oz) marshmallow (I use pascals brand and chopped into quarters with scissors)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
2 bars Turkish Delight (55g each) or favorite chocolate bar chopped into small pieces (3.5 to 4oz)
1/3 cup nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and spoon onto a tray covered with parchment paper or tin foil. Press down until a couple of cm (or 3/4inch) high and leave to set. Once set cut into small pieces.

Cheesecake - makes 12 large mini cupcakes or around 20 - 24 regular cupcakes
12 Oreo cookies (or up to 24 if making smaller cupcake size cheesecakes)
625g (21oz) cream cheese at room temperature
1 tin condensed milk
3 eggs at room temperature
12 large muffin papers (I bought these ones from woolies)

Preheat oven to 140C.

Line the muffin tins with the muffin/cupcake papers. Place one single oreo in the bottom of each paper. Put a piece of rocky road into each paper on top of the Oreo cookie.

Beat the cream cheese using a mixer at medium speed until just smooth, add the condensed milk and mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin papers dividing mixture evenly between the papers. If you are using large ones like I did the mixture should make 12, if you only have smaller cupcake cases do not overfill the cases as the mixture will rise a little during baking, make them around 3/4 full.

Bake until the mixture is just setting in the center, around 16- 20 mins for the larger size muffin cupcake, check after 14mins if you are making smaller sized cakes.

Allow to cool in the trays for 10-15min and then pop in an airtight container in the fridge until chilled.

Serve topped with extra Rocky Road.

Keep in airtight container up to 3 days in fridge.

Here is the link to my book on Amazon, I saw on the publishers site it's due to ship out from there on the 30th of November so it's like only just over a month until it's released. Yay!