Hedgehogs Recipes

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.

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the beef, onion, rice, thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, pepper and beaten egg.
• Mix well with hands, making mixture into medium sized, meatballs, (about the size of a large walnut).
• Set aside.
• Pour soup into a large saucepan, and dilute with 1 can of water.
• Heat to simmering over medium heat.
• Add the sage leaves.
• Lower heat to low, drop meatballs into soup and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the tomato soup has thickened.
• Remove the sage leaves.
• Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans.

Steps:

• Make the bread mixture with the butter following pack instructions. It's easiest to use a stand mixer but not difficult to do by hand. Leave the dough to rest for 5 mins, then knead for 5 mins.
• Cut the dough into six pieces. Dust the surface with a little flour and shape each piece into a ball by rolling it between your hand. Now make it hedgehog-shaped by pulling one side out a little and squeezing it gently into a snout. Be quite firm or it will bounce back.
• Put the hedgehogs on a baking sheet, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hr.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using kitchen scissors (supervise younger children), carefully snip into the dough to make the spikes on the backs of the hedgehogs. Press raisins in for the eyes and push a flaked almond into the end of each snout.
• Bake for 15 mins or until the rolls are risen and golden. Will keep for two days in an airtight container.