Tiramisu Nutella Rocky Road
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Makes 9 large pieces
- 50ml/1.7flozs Kahlua or Mr Black coffee liqueur (Baileys also works)
- 50ml/1.7flozs Marsala wine
- 50ml/1.7flozs coffee
- 250g/8.8ozs dark chocolate
- 250g/8.8ozs milk chocolate
- 100g/3.5 ozs Nutella
- Pinch of salt
- 160g/5.6ozs mini white marshmallows
- 160g/5.6ozs hazelnuts, roasted, chopped in half
- 10 savoiardi biscuits
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional)
Step 1 - Line a 20x20cm/8x8inch square tin with parchment on the base and sides. Combine the Kahlua, marsala and coffee in a shallow bowl. In a large bowl melt the two chocolates together (do this in the microwave on 80% power in 1 minute bursts or over a double boiler). Stir the chocolate to ensure that there are no lumps and that the chocolate mixture is smooth. Then stir in the Nutella and salt and mix until smooth.
Step 2 - Stir in the marshmallows and hazelnuts. Spread out half of the chocolate nut mixture into the prepared tin. Then dip the savoiardi biscuits into the Kahlua mixture and place on top. Then cover with the remaining half of the chocolate nut mixture pressing down so that it gets down in between the savoiardi biscuits. Sprinkle over coffee powder if using. Allow to set in the fridge. Cut into 9 squares or 12 logs.
Personal Note
I'm giving a batch of this rocky road to all of my friends. The first people I'll give them to are Monica and Marco to get the Italian tick of approval. Marco is a massive sweet enthusiast and is often the beneficiary of many of the sweets that I make. When we went away on holiday he told Monica that we can't go away because he missed the desserts. While Mr NQN loves sweet things, he's more than happy to give Marco the cakes because he doesn't like cake. Other than that the two men are very similar.
Last weekend we all did an escape room together. It was our first in many years ever since COVID and we've never done one together, nor have Monica and Marco done an escape room. We figured that we have played so many detective games together that it would be fine. The escape room had us pairing up into two teams in two different rooms. At first we thought that we should split off as a couple but Mr NQN thought that it might be good to split up as they hadn't done an escape room before. Marco and Mr NQN's strengths are maths and an analytical way of thinking and Monica and my strength is communication. "We have to get out!" I told everyone because I didn't want to break my winning streak before adding, "No presh!"
"Who wants to go into the elevator?" they asked us and Monica and I got up but once we got into the cramped elevator the claustrophobia started kicking in. We spoke on walkie talkies to each other trying to tell each other what we were seeing. The voice of the games person was reminding us how much time we had left. At the hour mark he came in and told us our time was up. "How far were we?" I asked hopefully. He explained everything that we had yet to do and Dear Reader, we weren't anywhere near finished. In fact we were only half way through!
Marco was fascinated by the inner workings of how it was done and asked lots of questions. So while I have unfortunately broken my winning streak we have awakened an absolute love of escape rooms in Monica and Marco and this won't be our last!
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried an escape room? What foods do you associate with Christmas?