Cherry Mice Recipes

Steps:

• 1. **Note** I didn't put amounts in my ingredients, as the amounts all vary based on how many you'd like to make -- I only listed amounts for the chocolate chips and shortening, so the chocolate/shortening ratio would be correct. Feel free to alter it based on amount being made. Also, if you would like the "nose" tinted pink, you can add a bit of food coloring into the white chocolate after applying all of the "eyes"
• 2. Drain cherries WELL, and pat dry with a paper towel. Unwrap your Hersheys kisses.
• 3. In a small saucepan, melt together chocolate chips and shortening over low to medium/low heat, stirring frequently.
• 4. Dip your cherry into the melted chocolate and place on its side onto a tray lined with wax paper. Immediately stick a Hershey's kiss to the wet chocolate to act as the "head". Slide 2 sliced almonds in between the kiss and the cherry to act as "ears". Continue until all mice are assembled. Place in fridge to firm up.
• 5. When mice are firm, melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. You will use this or the eyes and the nose. Either use a toothpick to apply the white chocolate, or pour the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag with a very small corner clipped and pipe onto the mice.
• 6. If you're using black gel icing, place the mice in the fridge to firm up the white chocolate. When the white chocolate is firm, use the black gel icing to make pupils on the white eyes (using a toothpick works well). If you're using black sprinkles, carefully stick one to the wet white chocolate icing, and place in the fridge.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Before starting, you may wish to take a look at the step-by-step instructions with photos. SEE LINK IN DESCRIPTION ABOVE.
• Line a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper.
• Rinse the maraschino cherries, drain thoroughly, and let dry on paper towels, turning often.
• The cherries must be completely dry or the chocolate will seize and get crumbly.
• Gently melt chocolate, butter, and paraffin in a double boiler until smooth, stirring often to prevent burning.
• Once melted, turn off heat, but leave in the double-boiler on the burner.
• Dip dry cherries in melted chocolate to completely cover up to the stem.
• Place on lined cookie sheet.
• Immediately press on chocolate chip, flat side to the front of the dipped cherry, to form a head.
• While chocolate is still warm, wedge two sliced almonds between chocolate chip and cherry to form ears. Let cool.
• Use a toothpick to dab beady red eyes on either side of the chocolate chip with the red gel icing.
• Refrigerate to firmly set chocolate.
• Notes:.
• If fresh sweet cherries are in season, by all means use them.
• Paraffin is sold in the canning supplies section, usually under the brand Gulf Wax.
• You can use the giant chocolate bars for the semisweet chocolate, or semisweet baking squares, or chocolate chips.
• If your cherries are exceptionally large, you may wish to use chocolate kisses for the heads.

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 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.