You might remember the avalanche bars I made a while back… I certainly haven’t forgotten them. And I’ve always thought a chocolate & Nutella version would be simply smashing. I even decided to call them Rockslide Bars (the darker counterpart of the creamy white Avalanche bars) long before I ever made them.
The original recipe has had a bit of a resurgence in the past month or so, appearing periodically on my most popular posts list.
Seeing it there just made me crave them all over again.
I had attempted the semi-sweet rendition of these bars once before, but, as I quickly found out, it wasn’t quite as easy as substituting dark chocolate for the white chocolate and Nutella for the peanut butter. I’m assuming it is the softer nature of the white chocolate to begin with, but the chocolate version crumbled and shattered in a brittle mess. In the end it took a good bit of butter, some cream, and almost twice as much Nutella as peanut butter (you need more Nutella for the flavor to hold its own against the semi-sweet chocolate).
Folks, these bars will knock you off your feet. If you like rice crispy treats, you’ll love these. If you like chocolate bars, you’ll love these. Because what they are is something in between the two, like a crisp and fudgy chocolate miracle. With marshmallows.
You could add almonds or hazelnuts if you’re feeling nutty; that’d give them a true rocky-road flavor. You could swap out the nutella for peanut butter, almond butter, or even cookie butter. Mix in more chocolate chips or white chocolate chips or even flaked coconut. Really, there’s a mountain of possibilities with this disastrously delicious dessert.
Dare I say this is better than the original? I’ll let you decide for yourself.
Rockslide Bars
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup nutella
12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup mini or regular white chocolate chips
Directions:
Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with lightly greased parchment paper. This recipe can easily be doubled to fit a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter together with cream over medium-low heat. Add nutella and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. The residual heat should be enough to melt the chocolate, but if necessary, return it to very low heat until completely melted.
Place the rice cereal in a large bowl. Pour over melted chocolate mixture and gently toss until completely coated. Fold in the marshmallows.
Spread into prepared pan, compressing lightly with the back of your spoon. Don’t press too hard or you’ll crush the cereal. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips and press lightly to adhere. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes, then cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Bars will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
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