Weekend Cooking: Rocky Road No-Bake Cookies

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Yes, I'm on a King Arthur kick (I was going to say roll but thought that might make you groan). Last week it was wonderful dinner rolls, this week it's yummy no-bake cookies I made for a Christmas cookie exchange.

I have mentioned the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion before, and even shared a recipe (ginger snaps), but I haven't actually reviewed it. I turn to this cookbook for consistently reliable cookie recipes, no matter what the occasion.

Besides offering the full range of cookies: iced, dropped, rolled, no-bake, and bar, from fancy to plain, the cookbook is a great resource for bakers of all skill levels. The experts at King Arthur Flour share their immense experience, offering tips about ingredients and techniques. Beginners will be happy to learn the basics (how to separate eggs), veterans will be grateful for new tricks (icing in two stages), and everyone will appreciate the informative sidebars (best cookie cutting implements).

I offer two sets of ingredients for the following cookies. The first is exactly as the Cookie Companion suggests, which I've made a few times to rave reviews. But today I am going to a cookie exchange that turned out to be quite the challenge because several in the group have allergies and intolerances. I decided to adapt the original no-bake recipe to fit everyone's needs. The changes are listed in brackets.

The oatmeal cookies taste great, but I think I like the original recipe is better. Nonetheless, I'm pleased to be able to share a cookie that all the exchange participants can enjoy.

Rocky Road No-Bakes
Makes 30 cookies

• 3 cups crisp rice cereal [I used old-fashioned oats]
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread [I used almond-chocolate spread]
• 2 cup sliced almonds, sprinkled lightly with salt and toasted
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan set over low heat, or in a small bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips and nut spread together, stirring until no lumps remain. Pour the melted mixture over the cereal and let cool slightly. Stir in the toasted almonds and marshmallows. Drop by tablespoonful onto waxed paper or lightly greased parchment paper and chill until set.

Beth Fish Read's notes: The cookies are delicious, but it was more difficult to form the balls using oatmeal instead of the rice cereal.

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