Christmas Mice On Shortbread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add flour and cornstarch, beating until well blended. , With hands lightly dusted with additional cornstarch, roll dough into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press lightly with a floured fork. Top with nonpareils or cherry halves. , Bake at 300° until bottoms are lightly browned, 20-22 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the butter, flour, stuffing mix and cheese into a medium bowl and mix well into a dough using a wooden spoon.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 5mm thickness and use a cutter of your choice to stamp out as many biscuits as you can. If needed, re-roll the trimmings and repeat until you've used up all the dough.
• Transfer the biscuits to a generously buttered baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins until lightly golden at the edges. Leave to cool completely on the tray - they will firm up more as they cool. Scatter over another grating of cheese before serving.

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.