two roads diverged in a wood, and I...

...I took the rocky road.


And that has made all the difference.*

*Two back-to-back literary references--my English-loving little brother must be so proud.

We're all familiar with the combination of ingredients in a dessert bearing the "rocky road" descriptor--chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts. [I think the components are a bit different (but just as tasty) in other countries.] There are cookies, cupcakes, ice creams, fudges, cheesecakes, pies, and even bread puddings. Me? I went with bars. Why? Because I'm lazy.


Instead of the brownie base seen in many rocky road bars, this recipe makes use of graham cracker crumbs. I used a blend of chocolate ones and regular ones to make the end result more cocoa-flavored; they also made the bars a bit reminiscent of s'mores, which could never be a bad thing. The nuts I went with were pecans (from the Green Valley Pecan Store, to be exact, which just so happens to provide the finest pecans I've had the pleasure of eating).


This is a quick, fool-proof, and tasty treat, and I'm glad I went down the rocky road.

The [Rocky] Road Not Taken Bars (did ya get all that?)
(adapted from this recipe)

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/2 cups pecans, divided
2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in an 8x8-inch dish. Toss to thoroughly combine and press mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Scatter (or painstakingly layer) 1 cup of the pecans across the top and bake for 15 minutes.
After baking, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with 1 cup of the chocolate chips, the marshmallows, the remaining pecans, and then the remaining chocolate chips. Return the pan to the oven and bake 10-12 minutes, or until marshmallows are lightly browned.