Christmas Mice On Shortbread Food

CHRISTMAS MICE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• 1. Cover work area with pieces of waxed paper about 18 inches long.
• 2. Dry the cherries with paper towels being careful not to pull of the stems and set aside.
• 3. Place 2/3 cup of chips and the oil in a 6 ounce custard bowl and microwave uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 10 seconds or until chips are softened;remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
• 4. Hold 1 cherry by stem (mouse tail) and dip into melted chips, covering completely.
• 5. Immediately place them on shortbread triangles, with tail at 45 degree angle.
• 6. Plave 2 sliced almonds against front of cherry to form mouse ears. Repeat with remaining cherries, shortbread and almonds.
• 7. Using the remaining melted chips as glue and a tooth-pick to spread the melted chips, attach the flat side of a whole chip (flat side back) to the base of the almonds to form the mouse head.
• 8. Using melted chips as glue, attach a few shreds of coconut for whiskers and a cinnamon candy for the nose.
• 9. Let cool without moving 50 to 60 minutes or until melted chip mixture is firm and completely set.
• 10. Store in cool place up to one week. Decorate your cheese platter with them by placing them on shortbread triangles. But you can use other purchased or homemade flat-surfaced cookies for the bace of your mice decorations.

SHORTBREAD CHRISTMAS MICE

Steps:

• Place some waxed paper on your counter so you have a work area for the chaos about to unfold.
• Dry your cherries with a towel. Honestly people, this takes forever and a day.
• If you have bloody strength or patience left after the cherry incident from hell, you can now pop the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. It takes about a minute to a minute and a half to melt these but check them every 15 seconds one you hit a minute. You've been warned. They go from cute and melty to hard rocks of lead quickly.
• Now if by some miracle you found cherries with stems you can use the stem to dunk them in the candy melts. If not use a spoon to swirl the cherry around in the bowl, then lift it out and transfer to a fork so most of the excess doesn't come with it. Place the covered cherries on the shortbread cookies. Then hope for the bloody best at this point.
• If you lucked out and your cherries were dry, you can now wait about 30 to 60 seconds, then pop the almonds on in a 45 degree angle so they look like ears. This will drive you to drink so have liquor handy while doing this step.
• Now take your white chocolate chips one at a time, dunk them backside really carefully in the extra melts just enough to get a sliver of melt on it, then stick the nose to the front in the middle of the almonds. Good luck, have that liquor handy once again. You'll need copious amounts of it. Ask the kids to leave the room. I can't be responsible for the words that will come out of your mouth at this stage.
• You can put a little red candy on the front for a nose. Good luck. I expect you want to punch me in the throat right about now. You're welcome.

CHRISTMAS MICE

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.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes, until firm but still pliable.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut with a 3-by-1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. If there are still bits of unmelted chocolate after about 5 minutes, return to the microwave in 5-second intervals, stirring, until completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle or dip 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it. Place the cookie back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and let stand at room temperature until the chocolate has firmed up, about 20 minutes.
• Cook's Note: If a 3-by-1-inch cookie cutter is not available, you can cut the shortbread into rectangles using a fluted pastry wheel for decorative edges or simple cut with a butter knife.

CHRISTMAS MICE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cover work area with piece of waxed paper about 18 inches long. Dry cherries with paper towels.
• Place 2/3 cup chips and the oil in 6-ounce custard cup. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 10 seconds or until chips are softened; stir until smooth.
• Hold 1 cherry by stem (mouse tail), and dip into melted chips, covering completely. Immediately place on shortbread triangle, with tail at 45-degree angle. Place 2 of the sliced almonds against front of cherry to form mouse ears. Repeat with remaining cherries, shortbread and almonds.
• Using the remaining melted chips as glue and a toothpick to spread the melted chips, attach the flat side of a whole chip (flat side back) to the base of the almonds to form the mouse head. Using melted chips as glue, attach a few shreds of coconut for the whiskers and a cinnamon candy for the nose.
• Let cool without moving 50 to 60 minutes or until melted chip mixture is firm and completely set. Store in cool place up to 1 week.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-12-1/2-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment, then butter the paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Remove the plastic and cut the dough with a sharp knife into approximately 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick a decorative pattern into the tops.
• Bake, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, until golden, 60 to 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then re-cut the bars along the previous cuts. Carefully lift the bars off the parchment with a small spatula and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

CHRISTMAS COCONUT MICE

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.

SHORTBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
• Place the dough onto a floured work surface, and sprinkle with flour; roll out into a sheet 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters, and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before decorating.
• For frosting, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. If desired, divide frosting into small bowls, and tint each bowl a desired shade with food coloring. Frost fully cooled cookies, and sprinkle with edible glitter before the frosting sets.

UNBELIEVABLY EASY MINCE PIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.
• Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.
• Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. Will keep frozen for up to one month.
• Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with the icing sugar. Will keep for three to four days in an airtight container.