Chocolate, almonds, and marshmallows are one of my all time favorite combinations. Thus, I love, love, love a “rocky road” anything. My kids also love this combo. As well as anything with caramel, blueberry muffins, a fruit tart, any kind of cookie and s’more. S’mores = Summer. They could care less if it is made over a camp fire or on the stove. It is the all time favorite summer dessert and I am embarrassed to say that they eat way more than I care to admit.
A couple of years ago I came up with way to combine the two. Sometimes, I add a bit of chocolate chunks right into the ganache. I have been known to make some homemade marshmallows and last year I made a marshmallow meringue top – torched it and made a group of 12 year old boys very, very happy.
Last month, I had made some homemade graham crackers. A few of them got a bit over done so I stuck them in the freezer (I think you all know by now, I hate wasting anything). Instead of using store bought, I made my crust using the “not so perfect” graham crackers and no one knew the difference.
A rocky road tart gives us the perfect combo of a s’more and a rocky road candy bar. One cannot really go wrong with graham crackers, creamy chocolate ganache wtth a bit of marcona almonds and marshmallows on top!
Rocky Road Tart
Yield: 18-3″ fluted tarts or 1 9″ tart
Ingredients:
graham crackers:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 oz. unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 cup muscovado sugar
1/4 (2 oz.) raw honey
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used homemade)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons organic white sugar
pinch of sea salt
Ganache Filling
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 (14 oz.) cups heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup salted, marcona almonds – chopped
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
instructions:
graham crackers
• in a small bowl, whisk the two flours, salt, and cinnamon.
• in the work bowl of your electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and muscovado sugar until well combined.
• add the honey and mix thoroughly.
• slowly, with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients.
• on a clean work surface, shape the dough into a round disc. flatten a bit. wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour (or up to 2 days).
• preheat oven to 350*
• on a lightly floured work surface(I like to use a metal slab), using 1/4 of your dough, roll out to 1/8″ thick. place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. put in the fridge while you roll out the rest of your dough(graham cracker dough gets soft and wet very quickly. I like my dough to rest in the fridge before cutting). repeat with all the dough.
• cut out shapes of dough. place on parchement lined rimmed baking sheet and once all the dough is shaped, poke hills in each cookie. at this point you can freeze the cookies and bake at a later date or bake right now.
• bake 13-15 minutes, rotating sheets back to front and top to bottom half way through. the last 2-3 minutes of baking, watch closely. this way you will avoid burning them as I had.
• let cool completely before removing from the cookie sheet.
• eat right away, store the rest, and freeze some for a rainy day.
crust:
• melt butter and set aside.
• in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the graham crackers, sugar, and salt. when mixture resembles coarse sand, add the melted butter.
• press mixture into a 9″ tart pan or individual vessels (I sprayed them with a bit of cooking spray).
• bake in preheated 350* oven for 8-10 minutes. set aside to cool.
ganache:
• place chopped chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water. when completely melted take off the pan and set aside.
• in a small sauce pan, simmer the cream until warm. mix a small amount of warm cream into the egg yolks, repeat until the cream and eggs are tempered.
• put the tempered egg/cream mixture into the pot with the rest of the milk. add the chocolate and combine completely. set aside.
assembly:
• place the chopped almonds and marshmallows into the pre-baked crusts (either individually or the 9″ tart). fill with ganache.
• top with more almonds and marshmallows. torch the marshmallows.
• top with a bit of left over ganache.
• store in the fridge for 3 days.
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.