OMG Rockie Road Brownies

If you don't like rockie road I think you need to get off your computer, go find some good rockie road (not the crappy powdered chocolate with awful sugary "turkish delight" jelly and hard marshmallow), eat it and instantly change your mind. Trust me, your life will be better - your hair will smell sweet, your eyes will sparkle, your boss will tell you what an amazing job you're doing (possibly give you a raise), your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse will for no reason start rubbing your shoulders, your children (or the neighbour's children) will go to bed early and sleep through the whole night without waking you up... see, better life.

So, with the amazing flavours of a good rockie road now causing you to salivate uncontrollably, I want you to further this intensity and start thinking of brownies. Gooey, rich, chocoloaty brownies. Now, call me crazy, but what if we combined these two amazing delights!!!!!!! If that was too much for you, I request that you take a moment before reading the below recipe, it will blow your socks off with deliciousness and divine taste sensations!

Something to look forward to when you eat these is how the marshmallow melts throughout the brownie when it is being cooked. If any marshmallow was lucky enough to be near the top, it partly explodes and creates a chewy, sweet sensation on top. The marshmallow throughout the brownie develops as little sweet sections of loveliness, mixed in with the crunch of the pecans and then the surprise of the dates. I don't think I need to encourage you any further, just make these for someone special (and that someone special can be YOU).

Rockie Road Brownies
230g butter, unsalted
2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup plain flour
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (or walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, whatever)
1/2 cup marshmallows, chopped
1/3 cup dates, chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line a square baking tray and set aside. In a saucepan over a low/medium heat, melt the butter (don't burn it). Allow the butter to cool slightly.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar and cocoa making sure there are no lumps, then pour in the melted butter and stir until combined. Whisk the eggs through, one at a time, then the vanilla. Add the flour, salt, nuts, marshmallows and dates and fold through until combined. Pour into the baking tray and pop it in the oven. Allow the brownie to bake from about 45 - 50 minutes, or until a skewer can be inserted into the centre and come out crumbly.

This brownie is best eaten the following day after the flavours have had time to set. Eat at room temperature or heat up slightly in the microwave. ENJOY!!!