Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream

Now that I have your attention, we'll focus on how to make this delectable treat at home.  First a little history.  There are two companies claiming to have concocted the rocky road flavor.  First in line is Dryer's Inc.  Company lore says that in 1929  William Dreyer  added walnuts to his chocolate ice cream and, cut marshmallows into bite sized pieces using his wife's sewing scissors (I bet she was thrilled with that development.)  He christened the concoction Rocky Road  "a name that gave people something to smile about in the face of the Great Depression," (though how they could afford it was another matter.)

Second in line is a cacophony of confusing claims surrounding Fenton's Creamery.   They claim that Dreyer based his recipe on a flavor invented by Fenton's friend George Farren.  Farren is said to have mixed his rocky road style candy bar into chocolate ice cream.   Note this is a rocky road "style" candy bar.  The Annabelle Candy Company founded in 1950 holds the trademark for the Rocky Road candy bar that many of us know and love but it was not part of the original rocky road flavor.

You'll need an ice cream maker for the following recipe.

Rocky Road Ice Cream

2 cups half and half
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup walnut pieces

 

Finely chop the chocolates.

In a small saucepan, add the half and half,  1/4 cup sugar and the chopped chocolate.

Heat over medium low heat just until the chocolate melts.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until pale and yellow.

Beat 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
 

Add the egg mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium low heat until the mixture reaches between 175 to 180 degrees.  If you don't have an instant read thermometer, the mixture will thicken slightly and will be able to hold the track of your finger as seen in the photo above.

Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove all the eggy bits.

You'll have a nice smooth custard.  Now chill this down to 40 degrees.

Add it to your ice cream machine and as the paddle begins to turn, add in the marshmallows and nuts.

After about 20 minutes, you'll have this.  Now, place in containers and freeze till hard.

There's nothing quite as good as homemade ice cream.  Enjoy!

Comments

[Paula C]

Oh my word, I've gained 5 lbs just reading this recipe... I can taste it through the screen...excellent photography work!

[mamichelle]

Oh, yum! I can smell it right now!!

[Elizabeth]

I'm drooling!!!!!!!! YUMMIE!!!

[bindersbee]

Are you kidding me!?? That looks beyond fabulous. You totally get the Martha Crown for the week- whoa!

[Jennifer]

YUMMY!!!!!!

[redundancy pay]

For as long as it is ice cream and it is rocky road, whoever invented it, thank you to them! This is legacy!