Dani's Hedgehog Slice
Meet Dani, the heart and soul behind Spongedrop, a cakery that’s become a bit of an institution in Mt Maunganui. She’s transformed the old Mount i-SITE building, just a short stroll from the beach and downtown Mount, into a humming café offering coffee, tea, and beautiful baked goods. Seriously, if you haven’t tried their treats yet, you’re missing out! But what truly makes Spongedrop special is Dani herself. Her passion and talented baking have made Spongedrop a must-stop for anything sweet.
Today, we’re excited to share Dani’s recipe for Hedgehog slice - a treat she describes as easy yet incredibly rewarding!
This from Dani:
I usually like to bake entirely from scratch but this is sort of one of those ‘mix and set’ recipes that is relatively easy and gives, in my opinion, a really good return on investment. I love anything chocolatey! The little bits of biscuit give a soft crunch and it’s all enrobed in this smooth, rich, buttery chocolate loveliness that goes exceptionally well with a cup of Webster's Earl Grey tea.
Apparently this slice is what the Queen used to enjoy for her afternoon tea so, chin-chin I say! You can also add extras if you like such as nuts, dried sour cherries, dried apricots etc. It’s very adaptable.
Here's the recipe:
For the base:
2 packs of plain biscuits e.g. superwine
250g butter (if using unsalted butter add 1/2 tsp salt)
125g brown sugar
125g white sugar
1 tsp Heilala Vanilla Extract
125g Whittaker’s 50% Dark Chocolate, broken up/chopped
100ml milk
50g cocoa powder
1 egg
For the ganache icing:
125g Whittaker’s 50% Dark Chocolate
75g butter
75ml milk
Grease and line a medium size tin (it can be any shape and medium-size but I’d suggest a 20-23cm round tin or a 27 x 18cm tin).
Roughly chop the biscuits into pieces about 1-2cm pieces (you want it chunky, not crumbly).
In a large saucepan heat the butter, both sugars and vanilla together until melted. Remove from the heat. Break up the dark chocolate and add to the saucepan, stirring until fully melted.
In a small bowl whisk together the milk, cocoa powder and egg. Pour this into the melted chocolate mixture while whisking, keep whisking until it’s velvety smooth. Throw in the broken biscuit chunks and mix well. Press this mix firmly into your tin, trying to create a somewhat smooth top. Chill for 30mins.
While the base is chilling, make the ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Warm the butter and milk until steaming (don’t boil) and tip over the chocolate. Let sit for about 2mins then stir until smooth. Pour this over the base and leave to set for at least a few hours. Slice up, relax and delight in the deliciousness. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, keeps for up to five days.
You can find Spongedrop at 10 Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui.
Follow Spongedrop here
Order cakes here
0 comments