Rocky Road – Sailing Snacks

Of all my favourite sailing snacks, the one I will always try and pop into my bag is rocky road. It’s easy to make either at home or on the boat, and requires no baking, just a bit of gentle melting on the stove.

Marshmallows might not be a staple of your boat’s store cupboard, but they’re light (they could even be used as packing!) and last pretty much forever, so they’re easy to add to your provisioning list. You can also substitute your favourite nuts, raisins, or almost anything you fancy in this recipe.

There are many stories about the origins of Rocky Road. It’s first mentioned around the 1850s in Australia, and it’s thought to have been devised as a way to sell stores that had arrived spoiled after the long voyage from England. By adding chocolate and locally grown nuts, traders could disguise the flavour of less-than-perfect goods.

Here’s the recipe I use for my rocky road sailing snacks, adapted from a BBC Good Food recipe.

Ingredients

(Serves… well, just one, me!)

200g digestive biscuits
(Rich tea or other biscuits could be used, but I’ve never tried them)
135g butter (or alternative)
200g dark chocolate (dark really does work best)
2–3 tbsp golden syrup (honey can be substituted)
100g mini marshmallows (or standard ones, roughly chopped)
100g hazelnuts (optional, you can swap for other nuts, raisins, cranberries, etc., but try to keep additions to about 100g total)

Equipment

1 × large saucepan
1 × baking tray

Preparation & Cooking Time

Around 20 minutes (plus chilling time)

Method

Line the baking tray with greaseproof paper (or similar) to prevent sticking.
Place the biscuits in a freezer bag or bowl and break into small pieces, roughly thumbnail-sized works well.
Add the chocolate, golden syrup, and butter to a large saucepan and melt together over a low heat, stirring gently.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly before adding the biscuits, marshmallows, and any other dry ingredients.
Stir well until everything is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture.
Tip the mixture into the lined baking tray and spread it out evenly, pushing it into the corners.
Leave to set somewhere cool, ideally in the fridge, for around 2 hours.
Once set, cut into cubes and store in an airtight container.

If kept airtight in the fridge, these will last for up to three weeks, though they rarely survive that long on the boat.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect on their own, or even better with a lovely, refreshing cup of English Breakfast tea.

Related Articles: IndigoBlue’s Chocolate Recipe
Image courtesy of BBC Good Food

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