Best Hedgehog Shortbread Cookies With Chocolate Walnut Recipes

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.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH WALNUTS

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside
• In a small measuring cup combine the vanilla and espresso powder. Mix until dissolved.
• In a large mixing bowl beat the soft butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and brown sugar. Blend on medium until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and blend again.
• Add the vanilla and mix just until incorporated.
• Add the flour in three additions and mix on low speed until incorporated. The dough will seem a little dry, but keep mixing, it will come together.
• Add the walnuts to the cookie dough and mix together using a wooden spoon, or mix by hand.
• Place the dough on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Form the dough into a log 12-inches long and about 1 ½-inches thick. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To bake preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator while preparing the egg wash. Whisk together the egg yolk and water. Lightly brush the entire log with the egg wash. Pour coarse sugar down the middle of a piece of parchment or wax paper. Roll the dough log in the sugar to coat, pressing down firmly to adhere.
• Using a large, thin, sharp knife, slice the log into 24 (½-inch) rounds. Place the cookies on the prepared cookies sheets about 1-inch apart.
• Lightly sprinkle the tops of each cookie with sea salt, if using. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the cookies are set and you start to smell baking chocolate. Cool on a wire rack and 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.