If Chocolate Chip Bars aren't enough for you today, here's a very rich bar cookie recipe. I found it in an old Junior League book, but it's actually an old Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe from 1972 called Rocky Road Fudge Bars.
Different From Mississippi Mud Bars
Rocky Road Fudge Bars may look a little bit like Mississippi Mud Bars, but there are several differences in the recipes. These bars start with a layer of nutty brownies, a second layer of rich chocolate chip and nut cheesecake topped with puffed marshmallows and a final layer of sweet chocolate cream cheese icing that gest poured over the top. They are gooey while warm, but will hold together nicely once chilled.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is from a time when most home bakers used salted butter, so if using unsalted butter be sure to add a little salt. I've put the approximate amounts in the recipe. I originally made these with an electric mixer, but they are even better if you mix everything together by hand. Just make sure the cream cheese and butter are well softened for that second layer. The frosting is poured over while the bars are warm.
8-inch Pan Version
The next time I make these I'm going to use cut the recipe in half and see how they do in an 8-inch square pan.
Recipe
Rocky Road Fudge Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup butter, salted (114 grams)
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate (28 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅜ teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted butter)
- ½ cup chopped nuts toasted pecans
Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted butter)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ¼ cup chopped nuts (toasted pecans)
- 6 oz chocolate chips dark
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Frosting:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened softened
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 inch metal pan with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, grease the foil.
- In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate together. Let cool slightly, then whisk or use a heavy duty scraper to stir in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt (if using), then add to the batter, stirring until well combined. Spread in the pan.
Cream Cheese Layer
- In another bowl, using a heavy duty scraper, beat together softened cream cheese, softened butter, salt (if using) and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and flour and stir just until mixed. Stir in nuts and spread batter in the pan (just drop it on and smooth gently with spoon) covering the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven for 2 minutes to puff marshmallows.
Frosting
- While the brownies are baking, have all your frosting ingredients ready to go. Clean out the saucepan used for the batter and melt the chocolate and butter together in that saucepan. Let cool slightly.
- Add the softened cream cheese to the melted chocolate mixture and stir until smooth, then add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar and beat by hand until smooth. Pour warm frosting over the marshmallow layer and swirl.
- Cool completely in the pan, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill until firm enough to slice neatly.
- When ready to cut, lift from pan and set on a big cutting board. With a chef's knife, trim the edges where the chocolate frosting did not reach. Now score the cake in half, then score each half into 12 bars so that you get 24 bars total.
Courtney says
Oh man, these bring back memories of childhood! My mom used to always make these for us, and up until now I could never remember the name! Must. Make. Now. 🙂
Jalanda says
@Adam: Your Peanut Butter suggestion is EPIC!
I'd rather sub the peanut butter suggestion for the marshmallow layer...
Oh no... I think I'm gonna get into trouble with these.
KAnn says
Creme de Colorado is a great book. I think you will enjoy it! The Junior League of Denver has done four excellent cookbooks. (I wasn't crazy about the 5th and most recent one but it seemed to have more meat recipes than the others and I am vegetarian.) I think C de CO has the breckenridge Bars which are very good!
Rachel says
these look amazing! i love the thick crust idea and of course FROSTING! 🙂
Katrina says
Ooh, those do sound really good!
Fallon says
The filling sounds delicious!!!
Anonymous says
This is a recipe that won the Pillsbury bake-off back in the 70s/80s I believe.
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
Oh my goodness! I want a (Rocky) mountain of them! YUMMM
Sue says
Oh my! Those really look over the top good!
Adam says
Where would these lie on the "sweetness scale"?
And there must be a way to cram peanut butter into that thing 🙂 -- that would be pretty ultimate :).
Lisa Ernst says
Awesome! Good point Anna -- if this doesn't do it for me, what will???
Supergoo says
Anna
I thought your recipe looked interesting so I compared it to my Rocky Road Fudge Bars that I got years ago from Portland's Palate. The recipes are exactly the same, so this must be an old recipe. I will vouch for it - it is absolutely fantastically delicious; people can hardly stop eating it!
Louise says
I have "Creme de Colorado", but have never made these. I'll be interested to hear the co-worker verdict. What did you think?
natalie (the sweets life) says
YUM! will you let us know what your husband's coworkers thought?!
bakingblonde says
Wow, those sound like one huge indulgence! Where do folks come up with these ideas?