Christmas Mice Food

COCONUT CHRISTMAS MICE

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.

CHRISTMAS EVE MICE

Steps:

• Carefully twist cookies apart; set aside the halves with cream filling. Save plain halves for another use. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Holding each cherry by the stem, dip in melted chocolate, then press onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss. Place on the cream filling of cookie, with cherry stem extending beyond cookie edge. , For ears, place slivered almonds between the cherry and kiss. Refrigerate until set. With green gel, pipe holly leaves on the cream. With red gel, pipe holly berries between leaves. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS MICE (OR ANYTIME MICE)

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.

MICE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Chop the confectioners' coating into chunks, and place into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the coating in the microwave oven on High for 30 seconds; then heat again 4 or 5 more times for 10 to 15 seconds each time until the coating is warm (not hot) and melted. Stir well until the chocolate coating is smooth and free of lumps. The coating should be about 95 degrees F (35 degrees C).
• Dry the cherries well with paper towels. Holding each cherry by the stem, dip it into the chocolate coating to just reach the bottom of the stem. Carefully lay the cherry on its side, so the stem sticks out the side. This will be the tail. Before the coating sets up, stick the flat side of an unwrapped chocolate kiss opposite the tail, to make a pointy-nosed face. Pick out two nicely shaped slivers of almond, and insert them between the chocolate kiss and the dipped cherry to make little ears. Use a toothpick to make two small dots of melted coating on the face for eyes; stick two little red candies to the coating dots. Repeat with the rest of the cherries. Allow the coating to set until firm and cool, about 30 minutes.

CHRISTMAS MICE COOKIES

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.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS MICE COOKIES

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!

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.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY MICE

Steps:

• Put the maraschino cherries in a strainer and rinse well with cold water until it runs clear. Scatter the cherries on top of a few layers of paper towel to drain and dry thoroughly, patting dry if necessary. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt together the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over a pan of slightly simmering water, stirring until uniform and completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat.
• Holding a cherry by the stem, dip in the melted chocolate, rolling to coat completely. Allow excess chocolate to drain off before placing the cherry on its side on the parchment-lined baking sheet (the stem should stick out from the side rather than the top). Repeat with the remaining cherries and chocolate. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow to set.
• If the remaining chocolate mixture in the bowl has hardened, reheat over simmering water until melted again. Remove the chocolate-covered cherries from the refrigerator. Dip the flat end of a chocolate kiss into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drain off, and then place onto the end opposite the stem end of a cherry. While holding the kiss in place, add 2 almond slices between the cherry and kiss to form ears. Use a toothpick to add 2 small dots of melted chocolate to the kiss, to adhere 2 dragees for eyes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Place the baking sheet back in the refrigerator to set up for at least 15 minutes.

CHRISTMAS EVE MICE COOKIES

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.

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.