Remember sugar mice in your Christmas stocking all those years ago? I used to love finding that sweet little rodent in my stocking. I wouldn’t eat it. Oh no, I’d keep it in my doll house for months. He would be a pet, a character. You couldn’t possibly eat him could you!
I decided to make some sugar mice this Christmas. Nothing professional and fancy, just a bit of fun and true nostalgia, what Christmas is all about.
MERRY KISS-MOUSE!
Karon x
Here’s how to make sugar mice!
Sugar Mice
Prep time
Total time
Author: Karon Grieve
Recipe type: Sweets
Serves: 7
Ingredients
- half an egg white
- 250g icing (confectioners sugar- 2 cups if you are in USA)
- 2cm/1" of red liquorice lace/strawberry laces
- red and white string for tail
- Cochineal/pink/red food colouring
Instructions
- Separate the egg and whisk up the egg white (I just used half for my 7 mice, but if you want to make a whole herd/flock/posse of rodents use all the egg white and double up the sugar to 500g/4 cups) until it is all nice and frothy.
- Sieve the sugar into the same bowl.
- Using a metal spoon start stirring.
- And stirring.
- And stirring.
- Take your rings off and get your hands in there to make a dough. I divided my dough in half so that I could colour half of my meeceeees.
- Add just a drop of the food colouring to your icing. Now if you were a sensible sort of person you would very probably have divided up the mix at the dry stage, before you started to make the dough. Maybe this is easier, I don't know. I just decided to have pink mice at last minute and adding the colouring at this stage worked for me. You can really work the colour through or go for an almost marble like effect.
- Divide up the dough into however many mice you want (size is up to you) and make a sort of short fat sausage shape out of each section. Roll at the front to get a pointy nose and pinch either side to get the ear shape.
- Now resist all temptation to make rude shapes from the pink icing paste. Remember you are an adult and that sort of thing is totally unnecessary and very childish. OK, wipe that smirk off your face and scrunch up that offending shape and make it back into a mouse - I saw you!
- Using the strawberry liquorice lace (which you have had to buy twice as daughter pinched the first packet and the three laces you insisted she leave you were mysteriously stolen by the weasel) or you can use standard black if you can't get red, or use silver dargee cake decorating balls etc for eyes. Snip into tiny pieces and pop one into each side of face to create the eyes.
- Cut 8cm/3" lengths of string and knot one end. Now turn mousy over and squish the tail knot into bottom area. Then just smooth over so the knot is inside the sugar body.
- Put your mousy masterpieces on to baking paper/grease proof paper and on to a tray in the fridge for 24 hours to set completely.
- You have now created some Christmassy sugar mice.
Well I’ve never heard of Christmas mice! So this is a new one – and it’s very clever and so cute! Can’t decide what to make first, the mice or the glittered oranges – those are beautiful!! I know you’ve been doing Christmas all year but that can only mean you are now 100% ready! I pull out your book yesterday and made the cola can lanterns…and tomorrow I’m going to make some preserved lemons…I have loved having your book on hand! Thanks for all the great idea – and thanks for another year of great advice and friendship! Merry Christmas Karon to you and Idgy! xo, Nan
Very cute and easy to make. I’m 13 and was home alone when i got a little creative, and made a whole “herd” of sugar mice with no problem 🙂