For our annual family cookies exchange, I decided to take a different approach and use Lizzy as my inspiration. What resulted was an army of little hedgehogs, almost too cute to eat (although I managed to down one—chocolate is definitely not a hardship to eat).

They must’ve turned out pretty well because I won the overall best cookie for the night; though to be fair, they were just the cutest. There were at least half a dozen that were more delicious. At least. But there’s nothing quite so winning as a mini hedgehog. Just look at its big (almond) ears and rotund little (Lindor ball) body.

If you’re wondering how to make these, it’s pretty easy. You need some chocolate balls (I love Lindor truffles, the white chocolate kind because hedgehogs generally have light fur on their bellies), Hershey’s kisses or hugs, chocolate chips, coarse sugar sprinkles, almond slices, and black icing (or gel icing in this case).

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Meanwhile, unwrap the chocolate.
2. Dip the flat end of the hug in chocolate, making sure to get some over the edges (in order to attach the hedgehog “spines” which they have on their brow). Roll one side of the chocolate ball in melted chocolate.
3. Press the hug to the Lindor ball with the chocolatey side facing up.
4. Tuck two almond slice halves between the hug and Lindor ball for the ears, and sprinkle the sprinkles on the wet chocolate.
5. Use the icing to make the eyes and nose. Because I used gel icing, it didn’t harden, but if you’re okay with that, carry on.

In retrospect, I should’ve added a type of flat round candy to the bottom of the Lindor ball so that the hedgehogs don’t roll around. Ideas? Otherwise, they turned out pretty well.

I introduced Lizzy to her mini-mes and she was very interested. I had to stop her before she tried to take a bite out of one of them.