Before you call PETA, let me explain… I’m not advocating the hunting of hedgehogs or even collecting roadkill to eat. The hedgehogs I’m referring to are fudge-like bars filled with dried fruit, nuts and cookie bits. I’ve never heard of hedgehogs until recently but these sound a lot like bars I’ve seen in candy shops called “bark”. From the web sites that talk about hedgehogs, I’ve gathered that it’s some kind of British and/or Australian comfort dessert. Do we even have real hedgehogs in the US?
I’ve not tried to make the following recipe but the ideas were too good to keep to myself. I don’t keep a lot of dessert materials on hand so it’s unlikely I’d get around to making this for several months. I hope someone can try this and report back. Since I’ve not made it yet, I don’t have any exact measurements or even specific ingredients to recommend. Maybe someone can make it and post back their recipe…
American Hedgehogs
- Chocolate chips (any kind leftover from something)
- Sweetened condensed milk (or evaporated milk and sugar)
- Nuts (any kind, chopped)
- Cookies (any kind, fresh or stale, crushed into chunks)
- Candies (any kind, chopped into small bits)
- Dried fruit (any kind, chopped)
- Anything else that might taste good in this like marshmallows, pretzels, candied orange peel, etc…
Mix equal parts chocolate and sweetened condensed milk to make a simple fudge. You could also add some vanilla extract, butter and/or marshmallows. If you’re really unsure, just follow a fudge recipe. Then add in any or all of the remaining ingredients to make a lumpy sticky mess. Pour into a baking pan lined with parchment or foil and refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.
If anyone gives this a go or has a good hedgehog recipe, feel free to post a comment. Wow, just typing up this post is making me want to run to the store…