Ice-Cream and Giggles

Rocky Road used to be my favourite treat food, using Cadbury chocolate and Pascall marshmallows. I have put off making rocky road since going vegan, mostly because of the difficulty of finding good vegan marshmallows. That's where dandies air puffed marshmallows come in: the perfect vegan gluten free marshmallow that even non-vegans love! They are a match-made in heaven when it comes to rocky road, so please enjoy! When I made this my pa was staying over and he grabbed a piece without realising it was vegan: and he liked it! My pa is a bit skeptical of veganism (I am not even sure he fully comprehends what it entails), so for him to like it I think is a big deal!

Prep: 10 minutes, Refrigeration: 1 hour. Total time: 1 h 10 minutes.

Makes around 10 squares.

You will need:

100g of good quality vegan chocolate (I used Loving Earth Hazelnut Chocolate)
12 large Dandies marshmallows
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
2. Pour a quarter of the chocolate into a small square lined tin (around 15 x 15 cm).
3. Layer your marshmallows with the pistachios with raspberries. The pour the rest of the chocolate on top.
4. Place in fridge and let set for around an hour, then cut up into squares. Serve with rose petals if you're feeling extra fancy.

Rocky-road used to be one of my favourite treats as a kid: decadent chocolate, fluffy marshmallows and crunchy nuts... It is been on my to-do-list to make a vegan rocky-road ice-cream for quite some time, though I found it extremely difficult to find vegan marshmallows. However, (for Sydney-siders), I did find Freedom strawberry marshmallows at Vegan's Choice Grocery Store in Newtown (which is attached to the cafe Green Gourmet), though I really want to try Dandies marshmallows, but every online site is always sold out! 

Serves 2, approx 25 minutes prep and 30 minutes freezing time.

You will need:

For the ice-cream:

2 frozen bananas
2 tbsp cocoa powder

For the Rocky Road:

3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup marshmallows (divided)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1 tbsp coconut flakes/shredded coconut

1. Combine bananas and cocoa powder in a food processor until smooth. Place in a bowl in the freezer.
2. For the rocky road: melt the coconut oil in the microwave, and mix in cocoa powder and maple syrup. Get a small (teeny tiny) tray lined with baking paper and pour in half of the chocolate. Layer half of the marshmallows into the chocolate, add nuts and coconut. Pour the rest of the chocolate on top to cover everything, and place in the freezer for at least half an hour.
3. Once the rocky road has set, cut into small squares (you might not need all of it). Chop up the remaining 1/4 cup marshmallows.


4. Mix the rocky road in with the ice-cream, and serve!