There are some who believe you can never have too much chocolate. If you're a chocoholic or have a raging sweet tooth, these Rocky Road Squares are sure to hit the spot.
The bars are as close as I can come to the decadent multilayered treats sold at Bailey's Best Market when it was in Surrey Center.
My version begins with a devil's food cake mix. Instead of following the package directions, I substituted a cup of cola for the water, which added sweetness. Chopped pecans add a bit of crunch to the base.
Cream cheese might not appear in rocky road ice cream, but it makes these treats luscious. I usually use reduced-fat cream cheese, but Rachel Drew, the registered dietitian who provides the nutritional analysis for this column, suggests that substituting fat-free cream cheese will provide a moderate decrease in the fat content of the bars.
The cake mix and cream cheese layers are spread in the bottom of a 10- by-15-inch glass baking dish. If you don't have a baking dish this large, divide the recipe into two eight- or nine-inch cake pans. Don't use the 9-by-13-inch baking dish because the ingredients will overflow in the oven.
When the chocolate and cream cheese layers have baked for 40 minutes, the treats are pulled from the oven to be topped with semisweet chocolate chips, pecans and a bag of miniature marshmallows. The confections are baked an additional eight minutes to melt these ingredients and continue firming up the base.
The final addition to the bars is a surprisingly simple chocolate glaze. A container of chocolate icing is heated in the microwave until it is pourable, and then drizzled over the bars. Though pourable frosting is available, I like the frosting to firm up once the bars have cooled, and I have found that the regular icing works best.
Cool the bars for an hour before cutting and then keep them in the refrigerator. These bars disappear quickly, but the recipe makes enough to feed a crowd and they're perfect to serve at a school function or Labor Day gathering.
Rocky Road Squares
Cake layer:
1 18.25-ounce devil's food cake mix
1 cup cola
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cream cheese layer:
16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate morsels cup chopped pecans
1 10.5-ounce bag miniature marshmallows
1 16-ounce tub chocolate frosting
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-by-15-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the cake mix, cola, oil and eggs. Beat until well combined, and then fold in the chopped pecans. Pour into the prepared baking dish and set aside.Beat the cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the flour and sugar. Fold in the vanilla. Spread over the chocolate cake base, place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chocolate morsels, pecans and miniature marshmallows. Return to oven and bake 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Heat the chocolate frosting in a saucepan over low heat, until softened, or heat in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle over the cake and let cool for one hour before serving.Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 24 squares.Nutritional information per serving (made with regular cream cheese and butter): 390 calories, 22 grams fat, 9.5 grams saturated, 84 milligrams cholesterol, 298 milligrams sodium, 44 grams carbohydrates, 6 gram protein, 1 gram fiber.Nutritional information per serving (made with fat-free cream cheese and light margarine): 326 calories, 13 grams fat, 3.5 saturated, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 361 milligrams sodium, 44 grams carbohydrates, 7.5 grams protein, 1 gram fiber.
Nutritional analysis provided by registered dietitian Rachel B. Drew, nutritional education specialist with the Richmond County School Nutrition Program, in conjunction with the Augusta Area Dietetic Association.
Coming next week: Grilled cheese goes gourmet in a Smashed Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Preserves Baguette, plus ideas for more updates to the childhood classic.
See Karin prepare the recipe at noon Tuesday on WJBF-TV (Channel 6).
Write to Karin Calloway in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.callaway@comcast.net.
You can find previous Quick Cooking recipes through the online archive at AugustaChronicle.com/karin.
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