Recipe: Brownie Mix Rocky Road Bars

Brownie Mix Rocky Road Bars

Rocky Road candy was popularized in the 1920s, at a time when the roads across the nation were first being paved; the bumps of marshmallows and nuts looked, of course, like old country roads. Since a rocky road was a primitive one, this candy was popularized as a "homemade" Ozark delight. (It was actually a Fannie Farmer recipe picked up by a nut company.) Here we've brought that classic combination of marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate to a doctored brownie mix for a quick and easy treat.

Makes twenty-four 2-1/4 X 2-1/8-inch brownie bars

Unsalted butter for the pan
All-purpose flour for the pan
One 19.9-ounce package brownie mix, or any brownie mix
suitable for a 9 X 13-inch baking pan
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1-1/4 cup milk (whole, low-fat, or fat-free)
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup),
or chopped semisweet chocolate

1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 X 13-inch baking pan; set it aside.

2. Place the brownie mix, beaten eggs, melted butter, and milk in a large bowl; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth, then pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

3. The moment the pan is out of the oven and on a wire rack, sprinkle the marshmallows over the top, followed by the nuts and the chocolate chips. Cover the pan with aluminum foil to hold in the heat for 5 minutes; then uncover the pan and cool for an additional 30 minutes.

4. Cut the brownies into 24 pieces while they're still in the pan. Carefully remove them with an offset spatula. Serve immediately, or let cool completely before covering tightly with plastic wrap for storage at room temperature for up to 4 days. The brownies can also be tightly wrapped in wax paper, sealed in a freezer-safe bag, and frozen for up to 3 months; allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.

To vary this recipe:

Substitute chopped pecans for the walnuts

and/or

Substitute butterscotch chips • milk chocolate chips • mint chocolate chips • peanut butter chips • or white chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate chips

and/or

Stir any of the following flavorings into the batter with the milk: 1 tablespoon vanilla extract • 2 teaspoons rum extract • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon almond extract.

Buy the Book!

The Ultimate Brownie Book
Thousands of Ways to Make America's Favorite Treat,
including Blondies, Frostings, and Doctored Brownie Mixes
by Bruce Weinstein
William Morrow
$16.95; $25.95 (CAN) Paperback
Pages: 224
ISBN: 0060937610
Recipe reprinted by permission.