Greetings and salutations. Behold: Banff bars.
Not to be confused with bars in Banff, sorry.
I grew up eating traditional Rocky Road squares (perhaps you can tell). They can often be found at their natural habitat: church basement teas and elementary school bake sales. Always lovingly concocted in a unpretentious small town kitchen. Never too sweet. They are a favourite of mine.
But clearly not favourite enough to not mess with the original recipe to create something more earthy (the roasted nuts) and crunchy (the wafers).
Why “Banff” Bars?
Do you hike? We like to hike in Banff, but any forest will do. Use your imagination:
Deep in the trees ambling along a trail like a bear, curious eyes (most often children (who are wiser and more attentive than adults)) will note the little nibbles of forest residual that line the path: twigs, pine needles, pinecones, or a few layers of schist that have broken off from a rock formation upheaving through the earth. Yum.
And yes, perhaps scat, but let us not use that in this metaphor.
The bite-size residuals (treasures) that kids will stuff their wee pockets with (although not in Banff specifically as that is illegal. Put the rock back, Timmy). These treasures are what fills Banff bars. Metaphorically.
Banff Bars
Rocky Road Bars with Earthy Toasted Almonds and Crunchy Chocolate Wafers
Ingredients
- 400 g dark chocolate chopped if large pieces
- 1 stick butter (115 g)
- 4 tbsp honey
- 150 g Mr. Christie Chocolate Wafers
- 150 g marshmallows
- 150 g sliced almonds
Instructions
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Put chocolate wafers into a bag and crush with your hands or bash a few times with a rolling pin. There should be many large (1/3 a full cookie) chunks left so do not go overboard. You don't want crumbs.
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On low, put almonds in skillet (I use my trusty cast iron) or pan. Watch them carefully and move them around, stirring more frequently as you note the fragrant smell beginning to emerge and colour changing. The almonds should be a light caramel colour when done. This takes about 5 mins.
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Chop the marshmallows if you are using large ones (which I recommend). Irregular sizes and shapes are encouraged. If using small marshmallows you can skip this step.
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Combine the dark chocolate, honey and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. We are skipping the fuss of the double boiler here so do not let this burn! Eyes on task!
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Combine the toasted almonds, chocolate wafers and marshmallows into the melted chocolate and fold until everything is coated.
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Pour (plop) into a 8"x'8" tin or glass which has been lined with parchment paper. Put in fridge to cool for about 2 hours. Cut into 1" or 2" squares and serve! Freezes well!
