Chocolate peppermint candy cane slice (vegan option)

We got the local supermarket magazine today and it has lots of great vegetarian recipes.  However vegan recipes are still slim pickings.  I would say this is true of many mainstream food magazines.  So perhaps I should not have been surprised to find a "vegan" chocolate slice in a magazine before Christmas and then find it had honey in it!  Well it is good to see a vegan menu added.  Baby steps, people!  So today I bring you a slice that is not vegan but could be if you so desired.

Ironically although we didn't use honey, we topped our slice with white chocolate and candy canes.  White chocolate is definitely not vegan and candy canes seem to be likely to be not vegan but some are.  However it would be easy to make the base and put vegan dark chocolate on top.  The recipe has a coconut oil, cocoa and maple syrup topping.

The real reason we made the slice was to use up candy canes we found leftover from Christmas.  Luckily I checked my post about last time I did crushed candy canes to remind me to put a chopping board under them because last time they dinted my table (which was in much better condition back then.) 

Did I also mention that this is a no bake slice which is perfect for summer when you don't want to bake!  We made this a few weeks ago in the summer holidays.  At first it was in the freezer for a while and I really loved eating it frozen on sweltering hot days when it was hard to find relief without an air conditioner.  I still think back to childhood and student days when no one had air conditioners and wonder if it was cooler or we were tougher.  Probably tougher! 

As we were eating this at home I didn't matter how rustic the shards of slice looked.  We just stuck a knife in it and watched where the cracks appeared in the chocolate.  With just a little oil and maybe at room temperature it should be easier to cut, if you want it neat.  I loved how the bits of candy cane (which were very difficult to chop) softened on the slice so they weren't so crunchy.  It was a great slice to have in the fridge over a few weeks including when I went back to work as a little was quiet satisfying thanks to the healthier base.

More Christmas leftover recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Baked brie with cranberry sauce and walnuts (gf)
Candy cane brownies
Cheese, cranberry and thyme muffins
Cranberry, apple and butterscotch muffins
Cranberry and orange glazed tofu (gf, v)
Fruit mince flapjacks (v) 
Fruit mince scrolls (v)
Rice krispie slice with peppermint candy canes (gf, v)  

Chocolate peppermint candy cane slice
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Christmas 2018

1 cup almond meal
2 cups desiccated coconut
1/3 cup cocoa
4 candy canes, crushed (optional)
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp peppermint essence

Topping:
250g white chocolate melts (or dark chocolate)
1 tsp vegetable oil (optional)
8 candy canes, crushed (or desiccated coconut)

Mix almond meal, coconut, cocoa and candy canes in a medium bowl.  Melt margarine with maple syrup (I do this in the microwave and mixing these stops the butter splattering everywhere).  Now pour margarine, maple syrup and peppermint essence into the dry mixture and mix well.  Press into a greased and line slice tin (18 x 24cm).  Leave in the freezer about 10-20 minutes until set.

Melt white chocolate.  If you want to cut into neat slices I advise adding vegetable oil but I didn't and it was fine but messy.  Pour white chocolate over and spread evenly (ours had a few dark spots from the base but these weren't so noticeable once chilled).  Straightaway before the chocolate sets, scatter with crushed candy canes.

Freeze for about an hour before cutting or refridgerate about 4-6 hours.  I loved it both frozen chilled rather than room temperature.  Cut into squares or shards.  It lasts at least 3 weeks.

NOTES: We crushed our candy cane by putting it in a bag and bashing it with a wooden rolling pin on a chopping board (warning: once we did this on the table and it left marks on the table).  If you wanted this vegan or do not have leftover candy canes (and a daughter who wants a white chocolate topping), I would advise using dark chocolate on top and then scattering with desiccated coconut.

On the Stereo:
A hundred million suns: Snow Patrol