chocolate rocky road brownies ~

Welcome to our recipe series blog hop ~ the Ultimate Recipe Challenge ~ and this time we’re sharing all things CHOCOLATE!  Ok, first a disclaimer ~ my chocolate rocky road brownies are completely decadent. And second ~ I improvised my grandmother’s recipe while we chase down our relatives to find her original. 🙂

I mostly remember these brownies from summers at Lake Hartwell. My MaMa would make a big pan of these rocky road brownies with nuts, marshmallows and chocolate, cut into little squares ~ and all the cousins would sneak them all day long. Gooey, chocolatey brownies eaten while walking down the road, sitting on the dock, and waiting after lunch for the next round of swimming. Now eaten with a fork with some iced coffee on the side, but the taste took me right back to those long, hot summers at the lake.

I improvised with my fave boxed mix ~ Duncan Hines Double Fudge Decadent Brownie Mix ~ and added a cup of chopped walnuts. Love my silicone hand beater; it’s mixed a lot of brownies!

When the brownies finish baking and come out of the oven, immediately add a layer of mini marshmallows on top so the heat of the brownies will start to melt them.

My grandmother’s chocolate sauce had a distinct taste ~ cocoa powder, sugar, butter ~ and I need to learn how to make her version. For my improvised version I made a simple chocolate ganache, combining cream and chocolate bits in the microwave until melted. Drizzle or pour the chocolate sauce over the top of the marshmallows ~ and try not to swoon from all the chocolate goodness!

Now comes the hard part ~ waiting for these to cool completely before cutting into them. Remember, I started this post with the “these are decadent” disclaimer, so don’t hate me. I let these cool overnight on the counter, and then used my grandmother’s trick for cutting ~ put them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so till the chocolate layer is firm and them immediately cut into small squares. Once sliced this way, the brownies hold their shape and are easy to remove from the pan ~ unless you leave them in a warm spot and they turn gooey again. A quick few minutes back in the fridge will firm them back up if they last that long.

These will definitely be going to some weekend cookouts this spring and summer. I can only imagine how many times my grandmother made these rocky road brownies for lake weekends and church potlucks, and they were always a hit. Enjoy these and all the yummy chocolate recipes from our Ultimate Recipe Challenge ~~~