Vegan strawberry wafer rocky road

From a whole foods dessert we are veering to a decidedly non-whole foods treat! This rocky road makes use of chocolate, vegan marshmallows, pink wafers, strawberries and apple to give a fruity animal-free (and nut-free) twist on traditional rocky road.

I got the idea for this recipe from the May edition of Vegan Life magazine. The magazine featured a recipe for strawberry rocky road made with strawberries, apple, almonds and dried cherries, as well as chocolate, golden syrup and vegan margarine. I thought it sounded delicious and tucked the idea away to ferment. A few weeks later, this slice is the result.

I actually didn't love the apple in this slice, and next time would substitute more strawberries or dried fruit instead (I have made a note of that in the recipe). However, I really liked the mix of fresh strawberries, crunchy sweet wafers, and chewy marshmallows. My slice was quite messy - mostly because I was impatient and cut it before it fully set! - but it was messy in a very enjoyable way.

UK mother's day was earlier in the year, but for those of you in Australia and the US, I think this slice would make a nice mother's day treat. It takes very little time to prepare and is likely to appeal to young and old. I made use of a pink theme (strawberries, pink wafers, pink mallows) but that is entirely optional.

A final point on the wafers - vegan cream wafers are easy to find in the UK (the Sainsbury's brand is vegan for example) but I know they may not be so accessible elsewhere. I occasionally enjoyed the Eskal lemon cream wafers in Australia, which are gluten free as well as vegan, and they are also available here. However, if you struggle to find vegan wafers then another vegan biscuit could be substituted instead (e.g., digestive biscuits or graham crackers).

On unrelated matters, I just returned from voting in my first UK election and found it a completely different experience to Australian elections. In Australia it is mandatory to vote and polling places are usually quite crowded, with party representatives handing out 'vote for us' information before you go inside, and sausage sizzle stands competing with bake sale tables when you exit. Here, voting is not compulsory and there were far fewer people evident at the polling station. We barely had to queue, there were no party representatives, and there were no sausage sizzles or similar. It was all very boring! Of course, voting isn't about having a party and the more important thing is who takes office, but it is an interesting cultural difference.

Vegan strawberry wafer rocky road

An easy fun treat

Vegan

Makes about 16 squares

Author: Adapted from a strawberry rocky road recipe in Vegan Life magazine

Print recipe

Ingredients

100g dark dairy-free chocolate (mine was 70% cocoa)

1/2 cup (approximately 45g) vegan marshmallows (or regular marshmallows), cut into halves or quarters

100g vegan cream wafer biscuits or equivalent

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup washed, dried and dehulled strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit or 1/2 cup extra strawberry slices or 1 medium apple, diced (I used apple but wouldn't do so again)

Method

Line a square or rectangular baking dish with non-stick paper and set aside.

Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and melt on low heat over the stovetop or in the microwave.

When the chocolate is melted, add the marshmallows to the mixing bowl and stir through. Crush the wafers over the bowl and then stir through. Add the 1/2 cup sliced strawberries and dried fruit/extra strawberries/apple and stir through.

Transfer the rocky road mix to your prepared tin and press down to distribute evenly. Press the remaining 1/4 cup of strawberry slices into the top.

Refrigerate for 4 or so hours before cutting into slices. Store in the refrigerator.

If you're in the UK, did you vote today? And if you're in Australia or the US, do you have mother's day plans?

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