General Chat

lol Rose, apart from melting the chocolate and mixing it with the butter and syrup there's no actual cooking.

Yes, Wend, it's Nigella's receipe, from the bbc website.

Cat ! me + 'cooking' ...are you sure??!! LOL ;)

That sounds like fun though :))

Susan, I think there were some things i should have bought for next year in Smiths...but then they may be cheaper still next week ;)

xx

Oooh yes, that's 'al la Nigella', isn't it? Made it several times and, I tell you, it's gone in a flash with my lot!

Btw remind me and I'll send you my addy next year so I can taste test them for you ;-)

For next year Rose lol

Rocky Road

Ingredients

250g/9oz dark chocolate, chopped
150g/5oz milk chocolate, chopped
175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
4 tbsp golden syrup
200g/7oz amaretti biscuits
150g/5oz shelled Brazil nuts
150g/5oz red glacé cherries
125g/4oz mini marshmallows
1 tbsp icing sugar
edible glitter, to decorate (optional)

Preparation method

1. Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces into a heavy-based pan. Add the butter and golden syrup and cook over a low heat to melt and combine.

2. Place the amaretti biscuits into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to make crumbs of various sizes.

3. Place the Brazil nuts into another freezer bag and bash in the same way.

4. Take the pan of melted chocolate mixture off the heat and add the crushed biscuits and nuts.

5. Add the glacé cherries and mini marshmallows. Fold the mixture carefully to coat all of the solid ingredients with the syrupy chocolate mixture.

6. Pour the mixture into a 25cm/10in x 30cm/12in greased and lined baking tray and smooth the surface as much as possible (although it will look bumpy).

7. Refrigerate for two hours, or until firm enough to cut. Dust with icing sugar, then sprinkle with edible glitter if you wish.

8. Remove the block of rocky road from the tray and cut into 24 rectangles.

It was the first time I'd been in town for a week and think everyone was panic buying inbetween one bout of snow and the next.

No pleasure either in the looking for gifts or listening to the angry, weary comments of everyone as they tried to get it all done. I wonder if the big pile of presents makes up for the angry exchanges in the buying of them?

More determined than ever though to start next year's Christmas shopping in January lol. ( or may very well be going down the 'home made' route....anyone for a jar of chutney.......?)