Cooking Thursday

Last week I made these cute hedgehog cookies with Cassie.  Shaping the bodies before baking them took a little time, but finishing them when they were baked was quick.  They have a nice hint of almond flavor and are a fun treat.

Hedgehog Cookies

1 1/3 cup flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
8 tablespoons butter, softened
pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon oil
chocolate sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl beat together butter, egg and sugar.  Stir in flour, cornstarch, salt, vanilla and almond extracts. Dough should be soft to touch but not sticking to your fingers.

Form small pieces of dough in a ball.  Stretch one side of the ball to make a pear shape, slightly flatten the point to create a muzzle for the hedgehog.
Place on cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes. Cooking time varies, keep an eye on them so the little muzzles don't burn.
Allow the cookies to cool.
Melt the chocolate chips and oil together.
Dip each cookie into chocolate, about 2/3 of the way up, holding it by the muzzle. Shake excess chocolate off and place on waxed paper.  Shake chocolate sprinkles over the melted chocolate.
Use a toothpick dipped in the chocolate to place 3 chocolate dots on the face for eyes and nose.
Allow to cool.  I placed mine in the refrigerator to let the chocolate harden.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.