Tutti Frutti Rocky Road (Vegan Aquafaba Marshmallow)

In Australia, where I grew up, there was a candy shop called Darrell Lea.
They used to sell these huge,big long Rocky Road bars and they were just the best!
I would buy one occasionally after work and scoff the whole thing on the way home!
But- they weren’t Vegan!
So when I developed the Plantifed Aquafaba Marshmallow recipe one of the first things I made with it was this Rocky Road.

The Tutti Frutti Recipe here is similar, but alot more festive and fun, including Strawberry Marshmallows, and your choice of either Passionfruit Marshmallow , or Banana Marshmallow, with some added Glace Cherries, Dried Raspberries and Pistachios for some tang and crunch!

You can either use flavour drops to flavour the Marshmallow (the ones I use and have linked to below in the UK are both Natural AND Vegan!) or you can use Freeze Dried Fruit Powders- your Preference.
These are fantastic to cut into bars and tie in little Cellophane bags (or long ones) to store, or give as gifts too!

xxx
Katrina

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*For a detailed STEP BY STEP RECIPE CARD see here:

Tutti Frutti Rocky Road

Ingredients:

For the sugar syrup:

405 grams cups sugar
10.9 grams Agar agar powder
1.3 grams Locust (Carob) Bean Gum
115 grams Glucose syrup
135 grams water

For the Marshmallow foam:

175 grams Aqua faba (Liquid out of a can of butterbeans or chickpeas!)
2 grams Xanthum gum
10 grams Vanilla extract
Strawberry colouring and flavouring *see below for what I recommend
Banana colouring and flavouring
OR
8 grams Freeze dried Strawberry Powder
8 grams Freeze Dried Passionfruit Powder (Natural Banana Powder is often quite bland, so go for Passionfruit instead!)

TO MAKE UP THE ROCKY ROAD:

600 gms Chocolate
50 grams Pistachios, halved
100 grams Glace Cherries, quartered
15 grams Freeze dried Raspberries, crumbled

Sprinkled with:

5 grams Freeze Dried Raspberries, crumbled
15 grams Crushed Pistachios

***Recommended Brands of Flavouring drops to try with Links:

UK: Natural & Vegan Flavouring Drops / Strawberry and Banana Flavours OR Freezed Dried Strawberry Powder and Freeze Dried Passionfruit Powder Plus Freeze Dried Raspberry Pieces
to decorate.
USA :Vegan Strawberry Flavouring Drops and Banana Flavouring Drops OR Freeze Dried Strawberries (to turn to powder yourself/ cheapest option I could find) plus Freeze Dried Raspberries to decorate.
****Some colours/flavours will deflate Aquafaba Marshmallow!
DO NOT use a Natural food colouring with CURCUMIN! – it will flop the Marshmallow!
Saffron is fine to use to colour Aquafaba without deflation.

Method:

-Add 175 grams Aquafaba (butterbean or chickpea liquid from can) plus 2 grams Xanthum gum to a stand mixer bowl and begin beating. (you can use electric hand mixers too!) From experience, I know that although it forms stiff peaks quickly, the volume increases and becomes fluffier If you start beating it at the BEFORE you start the sugar syrup, so get it going before you do anything else!

-Now, lets start the sugar syrup: Add 405 grams of sugar and 10.9 grams of Agar powder to a saucepan and stir to combine thoroughly.

-Add 135 grams of water and 115 grams of glucose syrup and whisk together over heat to combine ingredients thoroughly.

-Continue stirring from time to time until the temp reaches 250f on a candy thermometer.

-Once it is up to temperature, turn off heat.

-Once the aquafaba has formed stiff peaks and the sugar syrup is ready, slowly add the sugar syrup in a thin stream as the mixer beats it in until all is combined.

-Continue beating for a while as it will cool slightly and increase in fluffiness.

-Add in 10 grams of vanilla extract and continue to beat.

-Quickly take out half the batch put it in a bowl while you add some banana flavouring or the Freeze dried Fruit Powder to taste to the rest in the mixer bowl, plus a drop of colour, beat in until combined and then spread quickly into half the tray.

-To the remaining half in the bowl, add strawberry flavouring or freeze Dried fruit powder and colour to the remaining mix quickly, before it sets and mix in then spread into the other half of the tray and leave to set.

Making up the Rocky Road:
-Once the marshmallow has set, cut it into approx one inch squares.

-Melt 600 grams of chocolate.
I like to use a saucepan with hot water simmering, with a bowl sitting on top, so the chocolate melts, but does not burn!

-Once the chocolate has melted, set aside briefly, whilst you take the marshmallow squares and one by one add them to a large bowl.
I like to add a few yellow, a few pink, sprinkle some Pistachios and Cherries (chopped in half), along with the crushed dried Raspberries and alternate it, as I don’t want to stir it too vigorously to mix once the chocolate is added as I don’t want to break the marshmallows up.

-Add a few spoonfuls of chocolate as you continue to add the marshmallows until all the ingredients are in the bowl, then using a large spoon, gently mix until all ingredients are combined and the marshmallows are all covered in chocolate.

-Using the same tray , reline it with parchment paper, then spoon your rocky road gently into the tin and spread it out, leaving no gaps.Sprinkle the top surface with the crushed Pistachios and Raspberries and then set aside to solidify in the fridge.

-Once completely set, take out of the fridge and take the lined block out of the tray.

-Using a large sharp knife gently cut into long bars or squares etc, depending on what you want to do with it.

-To present as a gift, add some squares or a bar to a clear cellophane bag, and tie with a lovely ribbon.
The Rocky Road will keep for a long time if kept cool and dry.
You do not need to refridgerate.