No-Bake Rocky Road Bars

My favorite ice-cream flavor of all time is Thrifty's Coconut Pineapple.   A close second is rocky road, but the kind with almonds, no walnuts please.

I was on the lookout for new recipes to try for this year's holiday treats and I saw this one for no-bake rocky road bars from America's Test Kitchen.  After endless hours spent baking cookies it was a nice change not to use the oven. 

These bars are really, really good - sort of like a pumped up version of fudge, only better.  While the inclusion of graham crackers isn't necessarily authentic to rocky road I find it added a nice texture to the candy. 

No-Bake Rocky Road Bars (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

6 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups lightly packed (6 1/4 ounces) mini marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (5 ounces) whole skin-on almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil.

Toss the graham cracker pieces, 1 cup of the marshmallows, and the almonds together in a large bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups marshmallows and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chocolate and corn syrup and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Working quickly, pour the chocolate mixture over the graham cracker mixture and fold gently until evenly coated. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press evenly into the pan with a greased spatula. Refrigerate the bars until firm, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil sling, cut into squares, and serve.