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Christmas: Christmas Mice

Source of Recipe


From "A Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies"






List of Ingredients



• -- For the Cookies --
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
  
• 1 large egg
  
• .
  
• -- For Decoration --
  
• Sliced natural almonds
  
• 10 feet of red or black licorice laces (thin, spaghetti-like strands), cut into 3-inch lengths
  
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and kept warm
  






Instructions



1. Whisk flour and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; beat in extract. Beat in egg. Add about one-third of flour mixture and mix on low speed. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing just until blended. Scrape dough into a large piece of plastic wrap and cover completely with wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll into balls, at least 2 hours.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
   
   
3. Roll pieces of dough between your palms into 1 ¼-inch ovals. Slightly elongate one side to form a nose. Gently pinch bridge of nose to form eye sockets. Place 2 sliced almonds behind eye sockets; do not press almonds too far down or the head will crack during baking. Place mice 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
   
   
4. Bake until light golden brown on bottom and around edges, about 15 minutes. Place pans on racks and immediately insert skewer into mouse's round posterior, going in about half an inch. Remove skewer and insert length of licorice for tail as far as it will go. (It will wedge in and adhere to the still-warm cookie.)
   
   
5. Place melted chocolate in a plastic sandwich bag and snip tiny opening at corner. Pipe small chocolate eyes and nose in appropriate places. Place sheet in refrigerator until chocolate has firmed up. Store at room temperature in airtight container in single layer up to 2 weeks.
   
   Makes 40 mice.