Hedgehog Shortbread Cookies With Chocolate Walnut Recipes

CHOCOLATE WALNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the dry ingredients. You can use a wooden spoon or a stand mixer. I use my mixer. Add in the butter and the vanilla, and stir until completely mixed and a soft dough forms.
• Fold in the walnuts and turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Form the soft dough into a rough log, about 7-8 inches long.
• Roll up in the paper, smoothing the log and twisting the ends firmly to form a secure package.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours, or freeze for 1 hour if you're in a hurry, then unwrap and slice into thin slices, about 1/4-1/3 inch.
• Preheat oven to 325F
• Place on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Just until set.
• Cool for a minute on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.

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.

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.