Really Good Rocky Road

Really Good Rocky Road

• Ingredients

  For the Chocolate

  220 g (1 cup) cacao butter, melted, plus extra if needed
  125 ml (1⁄2 cup) melted coconut oil, plus extra if needed
  125 g (1⁄2 cup) smooth peanut butter or macadamia nut butter, plus extra if needed
  250 g (2 cups) cacao powder, plus extra if needed
  1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or powder
  2–4 drops liquid stevia or 250 ml (1 cup) monk fruit syrup, maple syrup or coconut nectar
  
  For the Filling
  
  80 g (1⁄2 cup) macadamia nuts
  70 g (1⁄2 cup) pistachio kernels
  50 g (1⁄2 cup) pecans
  80 g (1⁄2 cup) Brazil nuts
  30 g (1⁄2 cup) flaked coconut
  15 g (1⁄2 cup) freeze-dried blueberries (or 1 cup fresh or frozen berries)
  15 g (1⁄2 cup) freeze-dried raspberries (or 1 cup fresh or frozen berries)

• Method

  Line a baking tray or brownie tin with baking paper, or a standard 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
  
  In a saucepan over medium–low heat, gently stir together the melted cacao butter and coconut oil. Add the nut butter and heat, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes, or until the nut butter has softened and is completely incorporated into the mixture.
  
  Remove the pan from the heat and gently whisk in the cacao power, vanilla and your sweetener of choice. Keep whisking until thick, creamy and well combined, then taste and evaluate the consistency and sweetness as follows:
  
  For a thicker darker chocolate, add some more cacao powder.
  For a smoother chocolate, add some more coconut oil.
  For a fudgy chocolate, add some more nut butter.
  For a sweeter chocolate, add some more sweetener of choice.
  
  Once the chocolate is to your desired taste and consistency, line a 10 cm square cake tin with baking paper.
  
  Add the nuts to a large frying pan over medium heat and toast, tossing to keep them moving so they don’t burn, for 4–5 minutes, or until golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
  
  Add the flaked coconut to the pan and toast, tossing, for 1–2 minutes, or until golden, then remove from the pan and add to your toasted nuts. Mix everything together well.
  
  Add the nut and coconut mixture along with the freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries to the prepared tin and spread them out in an even layer. Pour over the melted chocolate and transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

  To serve, cut into chunky bars with a warm sharp knife and devour. Store any leftovers wrapped in baking paper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  
  

  TIP Freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries are popping up more and more in health food stores and supermarkets. They work wonderfully here as they keep the water content of these bars to a minimum, but if you can’t find them, no worries – you can totally use fresh or frozen and thawed berries instead.