Chocolate Peanut Butter Rocky Road Candy Bars

Celebrating life by watching a symphony with your mother and sister is a joy. So is eating one of these little gems. Listening to the cymbals crash and then slowly become muted on the black woolen suit coat lapels of the man playing them is quite sensual. So is eating one of these. You are caught, simply transfixed.  You wait for him to hit the next note, just so you can see him hold the brass cymbals close to his chest and muffle the vibrations yet again. The audience holds their noisy a-hems and coughs for the musical breaks while the conductor takes a moment of rest. Such a good silence too as you wait for the oboe to play, by itself, while the violins whisper softly underneath. Smiling at all the beautiful people, and at the one who catches your eye, more than once. High heels, polished faces, coiffed hair, loafers and the color of conservative navy floats through the audience. Not me, I am black silk knit dress with gold speckled nylons, hem stitched leather pumps and an ebony sequined fitted jacket. Not so quiet I am, giggling with my sister at the little things, nauseated by the heady cologne the gentleman next to me is wearing.  Worried I will be thrown out because of my silent and shaky fits of hysteria. We snicker, I smile and close my eyes, and wait for the silence in between the notes. It is music. Alive. Breathing. Fast, furious, gentle, cloudy, moody, genuine.

Below is a tangled hot mess of chocolate, cocoa butter, peanut butter, salt, peanuts and marshmallows. yum. enjoy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rocky Road Candy Bars - Andrew Garrison Shotts

Peanut Butter Ganache:

9.5 ounces or 1 cup plus 2 tablesppons creamy salted peanut butter

4 and 3/4 ounces, 38% milk chocolate - melted and cooled to 88 degrees F.

1 and 3/4 ounces cocoa butter (melted and cooled to 88 degrees along with the milk chocolate)

Pinch of  Kosher Salt

Graham cracker layer:

1 and 1/4 ounce or 1/3 cup peanut butter ganache

1 and 1/4 ounces or 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

Peanut butter-marshmallow layer:

7 oz or 4 and 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

5 oz Spanish Peanuts, toasted/roasted

For the foot:

5 and 1/4 ounce, 64% bittersweet chocolate, melted and tempered

1) Line an 8"x8" pan with tinfoil.

2) To make the ganache: Combine the peanut butter and the melted milk chocolate and melted cocoa butter and salt in a small bowl.

3) To make the graham cracker layer: Measure out 1 and 1/4 ounces or 1/3 cup of peanut butter ganache and mix with the graham cracker crumbs. Stir well. Pour into prepared pan. Spread evenly into the pan, you can use an offset spatula or your fingers if needed. Set aside while you prepare the next layer.

4) To make the peanut butter-marshmallow layer: Combine the remaining peanut butter ganache, marshmallows and the peanuts. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour on the graham cracker layer. Smooth out, pushing lightly with a spatula to remove any trapped air bubbles.  Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. Remove from refrigerator and flip the candy slab out onto some parchment paper and peel off the tinfoil.The graham cracker layer should is now bottom side up.

5) Take your melted and tempered chocolate for the foot, spread it over the graham cracker layer using a small offset spatula. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

6) To cut into pieces: Remove candy bar from freezer and gently flip onto parchment paper-lined cutting board. Let candy bar sit at room temp. for 30 minutes before cutting using a sharp, non-serrated knife. Trim up  the sides. Cut down the middle. Separate the two halves and cut each into 1" x 3/4 inch long bars. Drizzle with more tempered chocolate if desired.

dreaming of cymbals, the symphony and this hot mess of peanut butter chocolate rocky road bliss...

P.S. It's official, I am heading to Ecuador in June for a month long chocolate internship with

Mindo Chocolates.

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