Christmas Mice Recipes

Steps:

• Pulse coconut, confectioners' sugar and milk in a food processor until coconut is finely chopped. For each mouse, roll 1 tablespoon coconut mixture into a ball; taper 1 end to resemble a mouse. Attach sliced almonds for ears and licorice pieces for tails. Press miniature chocolate chips, tip side down, into place for eyes. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in 1 cup wafer crumbs and sour cream. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until firm enough to shape., Place remaining wafer crumbs in a shallow bowl. For each mouse, roll about 1 tablespoon crumb mixture into a ball; taper one end to resemble a mouse. Roll in wafer crumbs to coat. Attach nonpareils for eyes, sliced almonds for ears and licorice pieces for tails. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Beat peanut butter, butter and sugars until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture (dough will be soft). Refrigerate until firm enough to shape, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; taper one side to resemble a mouse. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Add peanuts for ears, M&M's for noses and chocolate chips for eyes., Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Immediately insert licorice pieces into warm cookies for tails. Remove from pan to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine butter and peanut butter; beat until creamy. Add brown and white sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla extract and baking soda until well blended. With mixer on low, mix in flour just until blended. Cover and chill for 1 hour, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Shape 1 level tablespoon of dough into 1 inch balls. Taper each ball at one end into a teardrop shape. Press flat on one side. Place flat sides down, 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press the sides of the dough in to raise the 'backs' of the mice, as dough will spread slightly during baking.
• Gently push 2 peanut halves in each 'mouse' for ears, and 2 pieces of green candy for eyes. With a toothpick make a hole 1/2 inch deep in the tail ends.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until firm.
• Transfer to a cooling rack and insert licorice pieces as tails.

Steps:

• Drain cherries well and count them.
• Unwrap an equal amount of chocolate kisses and carefully remove one side of the chocolate cookie from the Oreo, leaving the cream filling on the other side. (Save plain side for another use.).
• Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave and stir till smooth.
• Dip the cherries in the chocolate, shake to remove excess.
• Set the cherry on the flat side of chocolate kiss, and then position them on cream side of the Oreo with the stem hanging over the edge.
• Position 2 sliced almonds for ears.
• Use red gel for eyes.
• Keep the chocolate warm by setting it in a bowl of warm water.
• Line cookie sheet with wax paper to set the mice on as you put them together. When you get them all done, let them set for a few minutes before decorating.
• To make holly leaves - draw a "v" on each side of the red berry.
• For the leftover melted chocolate and plain half of Oreos. Dip each Oreo in chocolate and either sprinkle coconut or chopped nuts on them.
• NOTE: You could use cherries without stems and substitute chow mein noodles for the tail.

Steps:

• Carefully twist Oreo cookies apart. Set aside the ones with the cream filling on them; save plain halves for another use. (You could make crumbs for pie crust).
• In microwave, melt chocolate chip, paraffin and butter; stir until smooth.
• Holding cherry by stem, dip in melted chocolate, then press onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss.
• Place cherry and kiss onto the cream filling of the cookie. Let stem extend over the edge.
• Make ears for your mouse by placing sliced almonds between the cherry and the kiss (before the chocolate sets).
• Place in refrigerator until chocolate sets.
• With green decorative gel, pipe holly leaves on white cream of cookie by the mouse.
• Pipe holly berries between the leaves with the red gel.
• Pipe eyes on each chocolate kiss.
• Store in airtight container at room temperature.
• TIPS:.
• I used Almond Bark instead of the chocolate chips and eliminated the need for shortening.
• Maraschino cherries need to have stems and be well-drained.
• Keep chocolate hot by putting in a bowl over a steaming pan of water.
• I used a teapot, took the lid off and placed my bowl over it after melting chocolate in microwave.
• You can use a clean eyebrow tweezer or something else to grasp the cherries by the stems to dunk in chocolate.
• Make extras because everyone at your party will want one to take home to show around and to use as a pattern to make their own!

Steps:

• Mix the icing sugar and condensed milk. Mix in the coconut. Divide the mixture between two bowls.
• Dye one mixture dark red while the other eighter leave white or else dye pink. ( when I make white mice I use blue silver balls for the eyes).
• Dip a clean tablespoon ( use a dessert spoon to make smaller mice)into some water and let it drip, then lift up a tablespoon of the mixture.
• Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Press the mixture into the tablespoon and level it. Now turn the spoon over and tap it, so that the mixture will come out onto the plastic wrap.
• Pinch a nose on the narrow end , then add the eyes, the ears made out of the milky buttons or slivered almonds and push a piece of liquorice, as a tail. Allow to dry.

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and dip a cherriy into the chocolate, holding by the stem ("tail").
• Set cherry on its side on waxed paper. This is the mouse's body and tail.
• While chocolate it still gooey, "glue" on a hershey's kiss to the mouse's body, with the bottom of the kiss touching the cherry and the pointy part pointing out, the opposite direction that the tail is pointing.
• Add sliced almonds in the seam for ears.
• Decorate with icing or red hots for eyes and nose.
• Repeat with the rest of the cherries, etc.

Steps:

• Carefully twist cookies apart; set aside the halves with the cream filling. Save the plain halves for another use.
• Melt chocolate chips and shortining in Microwave (about 50-60 sec.) Stir until smooth.
• Holding each cherry by the stem, dip into the melted chocolate. Place on the cookie and add the kiss, pressing the kiss into the cream of the cookie base. Set the covered cherrie slightly off center, with the tail extending over the edge.
• For ears, place the slivered almonds between the cherry and the kiss.
• Refrigerate until set.
• Pipe green holly leaves on the cream and add red berries. Pipe red eyes on each chocolate kiss.
• Store in air tight container at room temperatue.