Bastelesel

Chocolate pinwheel cookies served in a different way. It’s a bit difficult to make them if you don’t have an oval cookie cutter with spikes. The other parts are easily rolled out and cooked. Eyes and nose are made with chocolate writing icing.

Without the fitting cookie cutter just help yourself with a round cookie cutter. Roll out the dough a bit thicker then necessary and cut large rounds. Then roll over these rounds again to give them an oval shape. Cut the spikes with a sharp knife then.

For the hedgehogs little belly roll out the dough at 3mm and cut little rounds. Take a shot glass if you don’t have a cookie cutter with the right size. Form a belly with your fingers then. The face is made with hearts of almond paste. Flatten top and rounds of your hearts to get a softer face form.
Belly and face are postioned on the hedgehog’s body after being brushed with beaten egg and milk on their back. Brush the belly’s front too. Cook hedehogs as long as pinwheel cookies. After cooling draw eyes and nose with writing icing.

I chose a Dr. Oetker recipee for my hedgehogs but you may take this one as well. With the remaining dough I made some black and white swirls I also saw at Dr. Oetker’s site. Instruction and recipee will follow soon.

Autumn’s approaching – at least in Europe – and with it the joy to spend some more time in my kitchen. Today I’ll propose you a real indulging recipe for all those who love nutella. A mellow cupcake with a creamy nutella filling and a sugar-cinnamon crust. Easy to make and delicious when eaten lukewarm.

Ingredients:

200g flour, 100g sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg,
2 tsp baking powder, 2 dashes salt
180ml milk, 60ml cooking oil, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla sugar,
8 tsp nutella

Topping:
50g sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven att 200°C, grease yur muffin tin or prepare silicone cupcake molds.

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in larg bowl.
Put milk, cooking oil, egg and vanilla sugar in a seperate bowl and stir until well combined. Pour this mixture into the first bowl and stir with flour and other ingredients. Pour some batter into your muffin molds to cover the bottom, add a teaspoon of nutella to each and then cover with batter again. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until done. Then place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Melt butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. First dip cupcake tops in melted butter and then in sugar mixture. Put them on your rack again for cooling. If you like it sumptuous serve them with a dollop of whipped cream.

Being among those feeling uncomfortable with the sweetness of nutella you may replace it by canned blueberries.