Foody Thursday - "Little Porcupines" Pastries - Їжачки (Yizhachky)

We got this little clay porcupine from Ukraine - he is extremely cute and seems comfortable with his pastry brothers.
But back to the recipe :)

Step 1
For the sponge butter:

6 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sunflower oil
1 package baking powder - 9 gr, this is about 2 tea spoons
3 cups flour


Now, great part - dump all the ingredients but flour into a large bowl, mix well, add flour, mix again. No beating, no whipping, no rainmaking dances and you dont have to wear tutu.

Step 2
Preheat oven to 200C
Line up a cookie sheet (sheet needs to have sides, about 2-3 sm is enough) with parchment paper. Pour your butter in and even out with spatula. If you are using small cookie sheet - you might need to use 2 of them. Butter shall be about 1.5 sm high

Step 3
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry
Get it out, let chill, remove baking paper and using a drinking glass (about 6-7 sm in diameter) cut out round shapes. Save the leftovers

Step 4
Spread leftover cuttings on a cookie sheet and stick it back in the oven with temperature reduced to 150C for another 15 min to dry them up. Take out, let it chill then roll over with rolling pin to turn them in small crumbs.

Step 5
Filling
250gr butter - this is 2 and a half sticks - at room temperature
Whip with a hand mixer till smooth and fluffy and add in small portions
1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Step 6 - assembly and decoration
Take one round shaped piece (prepared in step 3) add some filling (prepared in step 5) and stick another round shape on top, like a sandwich. Spread a bit of filling all over this "sandwich" and roll in crumbs prepared in step 4
Decorate. We used sliced almonds for the ears, mint leaves, and chocolate chips. Porcupine's face was piped using star shaped nozzle (number 8 if I remember right) But honestly, you dont even have to decorate - the crumbs make these pastries look like baby porcupines anyways. Blond baby porcupines :)

Enjoy!