Monday 8 September 2014

The Sweet Swap 2014: Snap, crackle & pop rocky road

What is the sweet swap,
It is to give and receive,
What if mine was a flop,
Thank goodness I did achieve!


So, earlier in August I saw the registrations open for The Sweet Swap 2014 (organized by Sara at Belly Rumbles and Amanda at ChewTown) and was debating whether I should sign up or not. I mean, my cooking skills are so limited and there was strictly no baking brownies or cookies!


But come on, we are all about bettering ourselves with challenges right? What use was it to sit around and think about it and want to do it, yet it just stops there? #YOLO I signed up.

So after much thought after signing up along with what the hell did I just do?! I decided to make a rocky road!

Reality really hit when I received my email with my three daredevils, their lives were in my amateur hands! My matches were Katherine from A cupcake or two, Alex from Eating Adelaide and Danielle from Eat my street.


After reading to see if I could pursue my rocky road decision to suit dietary requirements, I wanted to do something more that could make it a little different…

So, I introduce to you all the …

[Snap, crackle & pop rocky road!]
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Refrigerate: 2 hours

Ingredients:
Chocolate crackle base:
2 cups kellogg’s rice bubbles
½ cup icing sugar
½ cup desiccated coconut
125g copha
2 tbsp cocoa (I used milo, thus the not so dark crackle)

Rocky Road:
440g dark chocolate (2 x block is good too)
50g unsalted butter
100g marshmallows (cut small)
100g cashews
1 cup kellogg’s rice bubbles

Method:
[snap crackle & pop base]
1. Line lamington tin with glad wrap
2. Slowly melt copha in a saucepan, once melted, allow to cool
3. In a large bowl, combine all your dry ingredients (rice bubbles, icing sugar, desiccated coconut, cocoa)

4. Add melted copha to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly



5. Spread into lamington tin until smooth

6. Refrigerate until firm (but by the time you complete rocky road, it should already have set).

[rocky  road]
1. Melt dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan (or if you prefer you can microwave)
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl (marshmallows, cashews, rice bubbles)

3. Add melted chocolate and butter mixture to dry ingredients and mix until everything is covered in chocolate goodness

4. Check if your crackle base is firm, if so add rocky road mixture on top and smooth out until evenly spread on top of crackle base
5. Refrigerate approximately 2 hours or until set

6. Cut up and serve!




… and what’s awesome is, I get three goodies in return! Thanks for my goodies girls!


I got these beautiful mint slices from Deepa from One small pot.


Then these super loose, melt in your mouth pandan cookies from Felicia from Next Stop: Food


And then these delicious raw choco-coconut squares from Ema at On the flavor road.


I can’t wait for signing up again next year, the most exciting part is seeing parcels waiting for you.

--
AAANNNDDD if you noticed, I finally have my new look up!! Thanks to cousin Miss MC for the banner design and social buttons. AND thanks to cousin Mrs MLC for the lovely font. 
There could still be little changes throughout, however these may or may not be noticed, but hope you all like what you see!! :D

34 comments:

  1. Chocolate crackle base on a rocky road?! Yes please!! These sound wonderful. Thanks so much for taking the plunge and joining us for The Sweet Swap this year!

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    Replies
    1. No, thank you for organising with Sara!
      This is the best thing ever, makes me so giddy with excitement when the parcel is waiting for me (other than bills...)

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  2. Wow what an innovative sweet, I think I will give this one a go :-)

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    1. Oh yes! I'd like to see how you go :)
      It's so easy and fun to make - all mixing really haha

      Delete
  3. OHMYGAWDDD!! So many awesome things to mention this post!! Was not expecting it when I clicked on my "Bloglovin' updates' haha.

    Love the new design kazz :D Everything is so wonderfully cohesive (is that the right word?), it just works together so beautifully and the colour choice is so refined ^^ Glad you have a MC as a buddy because she did an amazing job with the buttons and banner. UGHHHH so much squeeing over the new layout - also liking how its coming up on your watermark ^^

    Speaking of your watermarks, can I just say that rocky road is generally not very photogenic....but I really enjoyed your baking process photos :) Very clean. Especially the photo under step 5. I think it might be the wooden chopping board that really got me....I dont know. Maybe Im just riding some kind of high over how pretty the layout is xD

    But I really do enjoy your baking posts :D I think Im just a fan of seeing food getting put together (see the massive list of food youtubers i follow haha).

    Hopefully all the goodies you received were awesome (what are the chances Felicia would get you!?).
    Thanks for an awesome post :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahaha!! hello! :)

      Gosh you really are such a sweet one! I'm glad you like everything, the look and feel of it all :) That's all that matters, me liking it is one thing. But having it easy on the eyes of others is another. It's great to know you like it, and thank you

      ROFL! Pretty sure it still is not photogenic, you're just being too kind and perhaps a little biased? :P

      I don't make enough baking posts because I'm a kitchen fail! :D LOLOLOLOLOL!! your love for food is enough

      I know right, was a little surprised but it was a nice surprise too :) The goodies were very good, when I received them I'm like: I'm embarrassed by mine!! :(

      Thanks for an awesome comment :D

      Delete
  4. My sweet swap was also a play on rocky road - chocolate bark. Hope you enjoyed everything you received.

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    Replies
    1. hehe seems like rocky road made its way around! Lucky we didnt all get the same one person, imagine them receiving three different types of rocky road! haha!

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  5. Oh wow your rocky road looks absolutely delicious!!! Mmm I love how you've combined two classic slices into one here :-)

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  6. This looks like it would be so crunchy with the addition of the rice bubbles.....I love nuts in rocky road, they are crucial! I'm sure my daughter wouldn't say 'no' to whipping this recipe up one day very soon :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahaha! All the "bad" sweets in the one! but yes, the nuts are definitely a crucial point for rocky road :D
      Your daughter is in for a treat :D

      Delete
  7. Your sweets look so good! I'm sure the recipients loved them! Good on you for joining in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thank you!
      I sure hope they do, was a little pressuring knowing I'm no good cook or good at packaging to deceive them when opening :P
      Will totally be up for it again next year :) Such a fun experience!

      Delete
  8. Oh wow your sweets look incredible, I am sad I wasn't a lucky recipient!

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    Replies
    1. Aww ... I wish I was yours!! Secret stalker of your creations all the time ;)

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  9. I love classics & rocky rd is one of em! Looks good Cassie!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Aw thanks Raff! :)
      classics are always the way to go, and cause they're easy to make haha!

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. pwahaha! yes, being sneaky by using two easy classics :D

      Delete
  11. i love your twist on the rocky road! yummo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha thank you! :D
      Needed to try and make it "stand out" :P

      Delete
  12. Your rocky road looks delicious :) I wish I was able to be part of that sweet swap! Hopefully will be next year!!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Aww thank Olivia :)
      Oh yes, be on the watch for it next year, it is a fun thing to do. I mean who doesn't like to receive goodies in the mail? Cause we only get bills :( haha

      Delete
  13. I love it! Great for snack and fun to give away, too. I'm sure the recipients will be delighted to have this rocky road as a gift. Very pretty!

    Julie
    Gourmet Getaways

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thanks Julie! Such kind words :D
      It was actually quite fun to make, may make some more for friends and family to enjoy now too ^^ get me "ego" going so I can try and be more experimental and turn myself from amateur to ... whatever the next step is haha

      Delete
  14. I can almost taste your rocky road right from here, it looks so delicious :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
  15. How fun! I got a little package from Amy from Milktea and it was so nice to get a sweet surprise :)

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    Replies
    1. oohhh ... i can't wait to see the goodies you sent out!! I'm already jealous of your recipients!!

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  16. your sweet treats looked so delicious! wish i got involved this year to try this (if i was lucky lol)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aww thank you :)
      LOL you can try by making now that the recipe is up :P

      Delete
  17. I love the new layout. Looks so clean yet the photos are generously big and bright but not photoshop or blinding flash kind of bright! loves

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    1. yay! glad you like the new layout! :)
      hahahahaha!! woohoo thanks for your approval on the photos!! :D

      Delete