Shortbread Christmas Mice 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.

MICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar; beat in egg and extracts. Gradually add flour; mix well. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Shape into 1-in. balls; pinch front of each ball to form a nose. Add two peanuts halves for ears, two raisin pieces for eyes and one red-hot for nose. Poke a hole for tail with a toothpick. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks Insert licorice pieces for tails.

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 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 ON SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cover work area with piece of waxed paper 18 inches long.
• Dry cherries with paper towels.
• Place 2/3 cup chips and the oil in 6oz 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-- even stem (tail).
• 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 red hot for the nose.
• Let cool without moving 50-60 minutes or until the melted chip mixture is firm and completely set.
• store in cool place up to one week.

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.

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.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
• Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
• Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.
• Put through cookie press and form cookies onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.