Squirrel Facts and a Happy Inspired Treat!
Happy the Squirrel is one of the most beloved members of the Funderland family. He can always be found working to put a smile on the face of our Funderland visitors from posing for pictures, breaking it down with his dance moves, showing off his (freshly painted!) Acorn House, or hanging from the Squirrelly Whirl. But how much do you know about everyone’s favorite squirrel?
We’ve got you covered with five of our favorite facts about squirrels and a tasty Happy-inspired treat for you to try!
5 Fun Facts About Squirrels
1. A Squirrel’s Front Teeth Never Stop Growing
That’s right, Happy’s got some chompers! Squirrels have to continuously gnaw on things to keep their teeth from growing too long. If you see Happy gnawing on a couple of carrots or nachos from the Funderland Café, you know why!
2. Squirrels Help Plant Trees
Squirrels sometimes forget to dig up the nuts they have buried, which results in trees springing up from their forgotten food. If you look around Funderland, you might see a few trees that Happy’s forgetfulness has helped to grow!
3. A Newborn Squirrel is About An Inch Long
Happy might seem big now, but he was much smaller than you when he was born!
4. Squirrels Can Run Up to 20 Miles An Hour
Happy is faster than he looks! Next time you’re in the park, try challenging him to a race!
5. Squirrels Have Excellent Eyesight
Squirrels have better peripheral vision than humans! Happy can easily recognize Funderland guests and always has his eyes peeled for new friends!
Now that you’ve got the facts down, try snacking like a squirrel! Happy loves his acorns, and now you can make some of your own. Try this delicious Acorn Cookie recipe, but don’t bring them around Happy or they might go missing!
Acorn Cookie Recipe
What You Need
Sugar Cookie Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
Peanut butter
melted dark chocolate
chocolate chips
Hershey’s chocolate kisses
How To Make Them
Make the cookies: Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the milk, egg and vanilla and mix well. Then slowly add the flour mixture until it is just combined. Shape the dough into a ball, then divide it into two balls. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Lightly dust some flour onto your countertop, and roll the dough out until it is ¼ inch thick. Find a cookie cutter that is just slightly larger than the base of a Hershey’s chocolate kiss. Water bottle caps work great! Cut out circles of the dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a fork to create a check pattern on top. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.
Assembly: Place the peanut butter in a piping bag and pipe a dollop of peanut butter between 2 cookies and press them together. Place a dollop of melted dark chocolate on the center of each cookie sandwich and attached a chocolate chip. Place more melted chocolate onto the base of the Hershey’s kisses and attach to the other side of the cookie sandwiches. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes for the chocolate to stiffen, then enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of TastyMade.
