Chocolate Hedgehog

Ingredients

• 6 eggs (separated)
• 200 g butter
• 250 g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1 lemon (unprocessed)
• 100 g hazelnuts (ground)
• 100 g almonds (ground)
• 150 g flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 200 g cocoa powder
• 200 g milk chocolate couverture
• 5 tsp butter
• 150 g almond sticks
• Chocolate sprinkles (for topping)
• 80 g dark chocolate couverture
• Espresso bean (for noses)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Grease five hedgehog-shaped baking molds of various sizes well and dust with flour.

2. 2.

   Whip the egg whites in a tall mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and place them in the refrigerator.

3. 3.

   For the batter, cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar, yolks, salt, cinnamon, and grated lemon zest, stirring to combine.

4. 4.

   Mix the ground hazelnuts, almonds, flour, and baking powder together and fold into the batter. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites, sift cocoa powder over the mixture, and blend everything until smooth. Fill the molds about 3/4 full with the batter and bake for 15–25 minutes (depending on size) until golden brown. Transfer the hedgehogs to a cooling rack and let them cool.

5. 5.

   Melt the milk chocolate couverture with 4–5 tsp butter in a double boiler and coat the hedgehogs with it. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle chocolate sprinkles over it and press almond sticks into the hedgehogs as quills. Let everything dry slightly.

6. 6.

   Then melt the dark chocolate couverture with 2 tsp butter in a double boiler. Pour the liquid glaze into a freezer bag, cut off a small corner, and spray eyes and eyebrows onto the hedgehogs. Attach espresso beans to their noses using a dab of chocolate. Allow the hedgehogs to dry at room temperature.