Easy Scottish Rocky Road Recipe

Scotland is well known for its high road and its low road. Now you have to add the Scottish Rocky Road too!

Scottish Rocky Road is the coming together of two greats. The joy and simplicity of Rocky Road, a classic in the eyes of many and the taste and nostalgia-inducing wonder of two Scottish sweet treats.

Ok, so we might be overdoing it a bit, but seriously, Scottish Rocky Road is ridiculous. All the tastes and textures you’d hope for as a fan of Scottish food in such a basic recipe.

You’re going to love it.

What is Rocky Road?

As mentioned above, Scottish Rocky Road is the coming together of classics. An Aussie one and a Scottish one.

“Aussie?” we hear you cry. Yes, Australian. Rocky Road has a fascinating history and it certainly didn’t begin life where we had assumed it had.

Rocky Road is believed to have originated in Australia back in 1853. Interestingly, it wasn’t the creation of a skilled chef or a talented home baker but rather the initiative of business owners trying to salvage sweets that had been damaged during transit from Europe. They blended these confections with local nuts and chocolate.

The name “Rocky Road” comes from the rough paths that these entrepreneurial treats had to travel to reach the gold fields where they were sold. We love this story, and although some American companies claim to have invented Rocky Road, we prefer to believe this fascinating tale from the Southern Hemisphere!!

We make it Scottish by adding two of Tunnock’s best sweet treats. For those in the know, you’ll already be excited, but for those not sure who or what Tunnocks is, let me explain.

What is Tunnock’s?

Scottish Rocky Road is made “Scottish” with the edition of two things: Tunnock’s Tea Cakes and Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers. Both are uber-popular treats here in Scotland. Tunnock is the name of the company that, since 1890, has been making sugary snacks. They started life in Uddingston, Glasgow.

The Tunnock’s Carmel Wafer began life in 1952. It is a dry wafer covered in caramel and coated in milk chocolate. It’s chewy, sweet, and ridiculously moreish!

The Tunnock’s Teacake arrived a wee bit later in 1956, and is iconic in both shame, taste and even the silver and red foil it’s wrapped in! A Teacake is a biscuit topped with a marshmallow ball covered in a thin layer of milk chocolate.

They melt in your mouth with a flavour like nothing else. Children throughout Scotland have had chocolatey faces and sticky hands because of the famous treats, so they couldn’t be missed out of our Scottish Rocky Road.

What is Scottish Rocky Road?

Scottish Rocky Road is the simple coming together of the Australian traybake, one of the world’s most famous traybakes and two of Tunnock’s most popular Scottish confectionaries that are known and celebrated throughout Scotland and, in many cases, the world.

The two things go perfectly together, and the only thing you will dislike is how much of this you will end up eating!

Things you’ll need to make Scottish Rocky Road

• 8inch square baking tray
• Baking paper
• Microwave-proof bowl if melting chocolate in the microwave, or a heat-proof bowl and pan for a double boiler on the stovetop
• Metal spoon for stirring the chocolate – Don’t use a wooden spoon as you don’t want the chocolate to seize, and wooden spoons can carry water!
• Large sharp knife cut cutting the Tunnock’s sweets

Ingredients for Scottish Rocky Road

• 400g Milk Chocolate
• 100g Butter
• 200g Tunnocks Teacakes
• 200g Tunnocks Caramel Wafers
• 50g white or dark chocolate for topping (optional)
• 2 tbsp Golden Syrup (optional)
• Raisins or other dried fruit (optional)

Why all the optional ingredients?

Given the amount of chocolate, caramel, and marshmallow in this Rocky Road, it can be very sweet!

Golden Syrup is good for breaking up the chocolate a bit and making it softer to eat, but does add to the sweetness so you can opt to not include it if you would prefer.

We like white chocolate but using dark chocolate, or no topping at all can always cut through the sweetness, as can adding raisins to the mix as well.

We suggest you make the recipe as is the first time around, and then adjust to your own tastes for the following times you make it (because we’re sure you will!).

Rocky Road is great because you can add anything you like to it and make it your own!

How to Make Scottish Rocky Road – Step by Step Method

Chop the Tunnocks Teacakes into quarters, lay them on a baking tray covered in baking paper and put them in the freezer. The more time, the better, so you may want to do this in advance.

Slice the Tunnocks Caramel Wafers into thin pieces.

Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup if using – this can be done in 30-second blasts in the microwave on medium heat, stirring in between with a metal spoon or in a double boiler on the stovetop (a bowl over a pot of simmering water).

Allow the melted chocolate mix to cool briefly.

Put the frozen Teacakes and sliced Caramel Wafers in a bowl along with raisins, if using them.

Pour over the melted chocolate mix and stir briefly and gently to coat the biscuits, but not too much or the marshmallow will all melt.

Tip into a lined 8-inch square baking tray and even out so there are no air gaps, but be careful not to melt the marshmallow.

Top with slices of Tunnocks Caramel Wafers.

Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours to set.

Decorate with melted white or dark chocolate, slice and enjoy.

How do you stop the chocolate from seizing?

A common mistake when making Rocky Road is melting the chocolate too quickly, and it seizes. This is when it goes thick and grainy.

To avoid this, make sure you go “low and slow” with the heat. Do short bursts in the microwave on a reduced temperature, or a very low temperature on the stovetop if using a double boiler.

Stir regularly to make sure the chocolate is melting and you’re not overdoing the heat.

Introducing water can also cause the chocolate to seize, so you want to avoid steam in the stovetop or condensation in the microwave, another reason to keep temperatures low.

This is also why you should use a metal spoon to stir rather than wooden, as they can retain water.

If you do find the chocolate seizes, then you can generally save it by introducing a small amount of fat. Add tiny bits of butter or even olive oil and stir through gently so it melts and the chocolate becomes smooth again.

Other Traybakes to try

• Biscoff Rocky Road – Another of our favourites!
• Chocolate Tiffin – A similar recipe and considered by some to be the original British version of Rocky Road
• Peppermint Slice
• Biscoff Tiffin – The Biscoff version of this popular traybake
• Mars Bar Slice – simple but beloved in Scotland!
• Millionaire’s Shortbread

Sonja and Phil x