The dough makes, essentially, pecan sandies, which are shaped appropriately, dipped in chocolate, and then in quills....er...sprinkles. The recipe says to use a toothpick to make the eyes and snout, but mine came out with tiny peaks, looking a little more like chocolate chips than eyeballs. Next time I'll try an itty bitty pastry tip. And don't make the snouts too pointy; they're fragile and will break easily. There's nothing quite as sad as a disfigured hedgehog.
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup ground pecans
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate sprinkles
In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine the 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. They don't spread.
Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand for 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, ( or wherever; I already explained the dangers in nose-holding) spoon chocolate over the back (leave the face uncovered). Allow excess to drip off. immediately roll the top in chocolate sprinkles. Place on waxed paper, parchment, or foil.
With a toothpick dipped in chocolate, make two eyes and a dot on the nose. Let stand until set. I like to put the tray in the fridge or freezer to get the chocolate set, for abut 10 min. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 16 cookies. I love this and often triple the ingredients to make 'regular' shaped pecan sandie cookies with it, and half-dip them in chocolate.
One final note: if you should find 'The Elegance of The Hedgehog' a little slow getting going, stick with it....we found it delightful.
