Nutty Little Mice Food

HAZELNUT CRUNCH MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Put the flour, half the hazelnuts, the icing sugar and butter in a food processor and blitz to a sandy texture. Add the egg yolk and 1-2 tbsp water, and blitz briefly until the dough clumps together. Tip out onto a work surface and knead the dough a little until smooth. Flatten to a puck shape, wrap in cling film, then chill for 30 mins.
• Mix the mincemeat, apple and orange zest in a bowl. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unwrap the pastry and roll out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Stamp out 12 circles with a 10cm fluted biscuit cutter and use them to line a 12-hole muffin tin.
• Fill each pie with the mincemeat mixture. Scrunch up the pastry trimmings and re-roll to the same thickness as before. Stamp out 6 circles using an 8cm cutter, and 6 stars. Put the remaining hazelnuts in a dish and lightly whisk the egg white in another. Brush a little egg white around the inner rim of each pie, then brush one side of each pastry lid, and the stars. Press each lid into the hazelnuts, egg-side down, so they stick, then lightly press on top of the pies, nutty-side up. Repeat with the stars and place these on the remaining pies.
• Bake for 20 mins or until golden and crisp. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then scoop out and cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Will keep in a sealed container for 3 days.

NUTTY LITTLE MICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350.
• In large bowl, break up cookie dough.
• Stir or knead in chopped peanuts and flour until well blended.
• Work with half of dough at a time; refrigerate remaining dough until needed.
• Place sugar in shallow dish.
• For each cookie, shape dough into 1 inch ball, then shape ball into 1 1/2 inch long egg shape.
• Roll in sugar to coat.
• Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
• Immediately insert string candy piece in end of cookie for tail.
• Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• On each cookie, use decorating gel to attach 2 cinnamon candies for eyes and 1 chocolate chip for nose.
• With sharp knife, make 2 small slits for each cookie above eyes; insert almond slice for ears.
• Store in tightly covered container.