Hedgehog Shortbread Cookies With Chocolate Walnut Food

CHOCOLATE-PECAN HEDGEHOG COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, pecans and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball; pinch the dough to form a face. Repeat. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. , Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Holding a hedgehog cookie by the nose, spoon chocolate over the back (leave the face uncovered). Allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; immediately coat the wet chocolate with sprinkles., With a toothpick dipped in chocolate, make two eyes and a dot on the nose. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

HEDGEHOG COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk sugar, shortening, corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Stir sugar mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until chilled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop or 1 tablespoon so all the cookies are uniform; shape dough into teardrop-shaped cookies. Flatten the pointed side of each cookie to form the 'face'. Arrange cookies on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl.
• Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching.
• Dip the top of each cookie in the melted chocolate, spreading to fully coat the 'body' of each hedgehog. Press cookies, chocolate-side down, into the ground pecans forming the 'fur'. Arrange cookies on a sheet of waxed paper to set, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the remaining melted chocolate to a piping bag or plastic bag with a corner snipped. Pipe chocolate onto the pointed end of each cookie for eyes and a nose.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

WALNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the walnuts until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool, then finely grind them in a food processor. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed, beat together the butter and sugar until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add the yolk and mix until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and walnuts and mix just to combine. If the dough is soft, wrap it tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Otherwise, roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface into a 6-by-7-inch rectangle. Using a ruler, square the edges as much as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into1-inch squares. Place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies until they are firm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks.

HEDGEHOG COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, dates and brown sugar. Add 1/2 cup coconut and egg; mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in remaining coconut. , Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.