Another day of lockdown in Melbourne, and based on yesterday's numbers, it seems like it might be extended for yet another week. Even though i've really been making the best of it by being as productive as I can, I'm definitely ready for it to be over. Living alone makes it a bit lonely and sometimes the only verbal conversations I have are arguments with my *not so* smart speaker which never seems to play the right songs that I request. My neighbours must think I am in a very dysfunctional relationship. 😂 I've been catching up with friends on coffee walks on the weekend, but it's getting pretty cold now, and I wouldn't mind being able to do something else. Anyhow, most of the world is in this situation (though all other states here in Australia seem to be doing fine) so I guess I'll just have to suck it up and keep at it.
On the upside, I came up with yet another chocolate-y recipe. (I'm definitely walking out of this lockdown with some extra pounds 😅) I absolutely love hedgehog slices. They're pretty popular in Australia, but also back in Turkey. (We call them Mozaik Pasta, which means Mosaic Cake) They're essentially the same dessert, although the Turkish one usually asks for raw eggs which now, looking back on all the times I ate it as a kid, it makes me cringe. Luckily, this version definitely does not contain any eggs or dairy, nor does it contain any added sugar.
The recipe might seem a bit laborious, if only because I decided to make the biscuits from scratch as well. I'm a bit pedantic and I couldn't find any vegan, wheat-free, sugar-free biscuits at the supermarket (can't believe I even looked.) But it's well worth the effort... and the satisfaction I got from smashing the biscuits that I so carefully shaped before baking lol. And once you've made the biscuits, the rest is easy as.Â
It's not the lightest dessert by far as it does ask for a decent amount of vegan butter, which helps give it structure and a rich texture. I guess the next step will be to try to come up with an oil-free version, so stay tuned!
As always, if you make this Hedgehog Slice, please tag #revelinplants on social media cause I'd love to see how it turns out!
Preheat oven to 180C or 350F and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper on it.
Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add in the vegan butter and mix until the mixture resembles course sand. It's not going to look fully even, and that's okay. This makes the biscuits more flaky.
Add in the vanilla extract and water in 1tbsp increments until it forms a dough.
On a lightly floured surface (I used baking paper with a dash of flour), roll the dough onto a flat sheet. It doesn't have to look good at this point, just make sure it's evenly sized throughout.
Using either a cookie cuter or a wineglass like I did, cut the dough into even shapes. Make sure to grab the leftover though and repeat the process, we don't want any waste!
Place the raw biscuits on a baking sheet, place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. They'll look slightly golden brown.
Let the biscuits cool fully and then smash them into pieces like in the picture.
Blend all the ingredients in a blender.
Add the chocolate mixture onto the cookies and mix until all the biscuits are fully coated.
Lay out the mixture the edge of a sheet of baking paper and shape into either a pyramid or a rectangle. Then roll the paper on top of the slice and tightly fold the edges. Place in the freezer to cool for a few hours or until solid enough to slice. All done and ready to enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 180C or 350F and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper on it.
Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add in the vegan butter and mix until the mixture resembles course sand. It's not going to look fully even, and that's okay. This makes the biscuits more flaky.
Add in the vanilla extract and water in 1tbsp increments until it forms a dough.
On a lightly floured surface (I used baking paper with a dash of flour), roll the dough onto a flat sheet. It doesn't have to look good at this point, just make sure it's evenly sized throughout.
Using either a cookie cuter or a wineglass like I did, cut the dough into even shapes. Make sure to grab the leftover though and repeat the process, we don't want any waste!
Place the raw biscuits on a baking sheet, place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. They'll look slightly golden brown.
Let the biscuits cool fully and then smash them into pieces like in the picture.
Blend all the ingredients in a blender.
Add the chocolate mixture onto the cookies and mix until all the biscuits are fully coated.
Lay out the mixture the edge of a sheet of baking paper and shape into either a pyramid or a rectangle. Then roll the paper on top of the slice and tightly fold the edges. Place in the freezer to cool for a few hours or until solid enough to slice. All done and ready to enjoy!