The hedgehog mushroom is the forager's safety net: in place of gills or pores it has soft downward-pointing spines (teeth) under a buff-to-orange cap, a feature shared with no toxic mushroom in its range, making it one of the safest wild species to learn. The flesh is firm, the flavor a clean sweet-peppery note reminiscent of chanterelle (to which it is unrelated), and it never turns bitter or slimy. It bruises orange and keeps well. Treat it almost exactly like a chanterelle in the kitchen.
Sweet and gently peppery, chanterelle-like, never bitter.
Autumn (sometimes into early winter in mild zones); wild only.
Buff-orange irregular cap, soft SPINES/teeth underneath (not gills or pores), bruises orange, white spore print. No dangerous spined look-alikes in its range.
Always cook thoroughly before eating, and try only a small test portion of any species new to you.
No dangerous look-alikes commonly reported in range -- but always verify your own ID before eating.