Hedgehogs are tasty and frugal


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…

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