every friday i am a 'Cook and Bake' teacher for kids at the Darjeeling Montessori House of Children. the kids are a riot (aren't they all?) and it takes all of my zen and patience to sometimes rein them in with nothing but love...i guess i've had enough practice with zy in that front. zy too, is a part of the curriculum ( although he's absent from these photographs )
we made rocky road last friday and it was the biggest hit with the children because which child does not love chocolate, marshmallows and licking the bowl!?
when the school administration first spoke to me about holding classes for children here, apprehension was my only reaction. i had never taught children before in the kitchen. my first concern was safety and my other concern was well, me! i'm not known for my patience. with zy, i get away with it because i package it as 'tough love' and he buys that!
not very long ago, my friend Cath had once mentioned that i was a natural with kids during one of our other workshops so when i eventually agreed to take this up, i guess i might have gone with that ...i really hope i've done the right thing!
all said, these young chefs have been amazing...so far, so good :)
Rocky Road Recipe
125 grams soft butter
300 grams dark chocolate broken into pieces
3 tablespoons honey
(it's actually golden syrup but in darj, we do make compromises with ingredients)
200 grams rich tea biscuits
100 grams mini marshmallows
Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan. Scoop out about 3 tablesppons of this melted mixture and put aside.
Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and then bash them with a rolling pin until they are crumbed unevenly.
Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, and then add the marshmallows.
Tip into a foil tray and flatten as best you can with a spatula. Pour the reserved melted chocolate mixture/ganache over the marshmallow mixture and smooth the top.
Refrigerate for about 2 hours or overnight.
Cut into squares and eat!
we might organize a food festival as a fund - raiser for the school. watch this space for the same ... as, when and if it happens.
“His name is Marcus: he is four and a half and possesses that deep gravity and seriousness that only small children and mountain gorillas have ever been able to master.”
― Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys
