Hedgehogs are such charming creatures that I just had to make a cookie in their honor. They come out of hibernation in early spring so it’s the perfect time to share these cookies as we anticipate spring’s arrival. These delightful cookies are made of a chocolate cookie dough which is similar in texture to shortbread. It makes a delicious base for the white chocolate filling. Chocolate sprinkles make perfect hedgehog “fur’ and dabs of white chocolate make cute snouts and paws. The finished cookies are 2 1/2 inches wide which makes them a bit easier to decorate, but you can make them smaller if you wish. Baking times will be shorter for smaller cookies.
| Servings |
cookies
|
- 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup (44g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (132g) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 cup (48g) chocolate sprinkles
- 6 ounces (170g) white chocolate, finely chopped or 1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips
- Black gel food coloring
Ingredients
|
|
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt until well combined.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at time until incorporated, followed by the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the flour mixture just until the dough comes together. The dough will seem crumbly at first, but it will come together.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal portions and roll them into balls. It's helpful to use a kitchen scale for accuracy. The balls should be about 1 1/2-inches (3.8cm) wide. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Using your thumb, press an oval indentation into the center of each dough ball. Brush the perimeter of the cookies with egg white.
- Place the sprinkles in a small bowl. Dip the tops of the cookies into the sprinkles, pressing gently to adhere the sprinkles to the egg white. Bake until the cookies are set and slightly puffed, about 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave for short bursts. Transfer the melted white chocolate to a piping bag. Pipe the white chocolate into the indentations of the cooled cookies. Swirl each cookie gently to settle and smooth out the melted white chocolate. When the white chocolate centers have set up, reheat the remaining white chocolate. For the hedgehog paws, pipe 4 small blobs on each cookie. For the snouts, pipe a blob on each one. Use a toothpick dipped in black food coloring for the eyes and noses.**
*To find chocolate sprinkles, click here.
**For the eyes and noses, it's helpful to snip the pointed tip off of the toothpick to create a blunt end.
For all baking recipes, I recommend using a kitchen scale for the best results. To find one, click here. Â Â
