Peanut Rocky Road

Three ingredients, no oven, and you’ve got a tin of homemade candy ready for the holidays or a last-minute potluck. Semisweet chocolate gets melted gently over hot water (a double boiler keeps the chocolate from scorching, which is the only way this recipe goes wrong), then dry-roasted peanuts and miniature marshmallows fold in.

The magic is in the contrast. Crisp salty peanuts, pillowy marshmallows that stay soft against the firm chocolate, and a snap of dark chocolate around the whole cluster. It’s a textural three-act play in a single bite.

Dry-roasted peanuts are a must here. Raw peanuts taste flat and oily roasted ones overpower the marshmallow. The salty crunch of dry-roasted is exactly the right counterweight to all that sweetness.

Work quickly once everything is folded together. As the chocolate cools it firms up fast, and you want to spoon mounds onto waxed paper while the mixture is still loose enough to drop cleanly.

Kitchen Tips

• Melt the chocolate over barely simmering water, never boiling. Steam in the bowl seizes chocolate into a grainy paste.
• Let the melted chocolate cool 1 to 2 minutes before folding in the marshmallows or they’ll dissolve.
• Use parchment if you have it. Marshmallows can stick to waxed paper if the room is humid.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature, not in the fridge. Cold chocolate develops a chalky bloom.

Variations

• Use chopped pecans, almonds, or cashews instead of peanuts for a fancier cluster.
• Stir in dried cranberries or chopped candied cherries along with the marshmallows for a holiday version.
• Drizzle finished mounds with white chocolate for a contrasting ribbon.