Peanut Butter Christmas Mice Recipe

Peanut Butter Christmas Mice Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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With their red licorice tails, candy noses and peanut ears, these chewy "mice" were always a hit at classroom parties. My children are in their teens now, but they still ask me to make these cookies for the holidays. -Nancy Rowse Bella Vista, Arkansas

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Peanut Butter Christmas Mice Recipe

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Yield: 30 Servings

30 10 40

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanut halves
2 tablespoons green and red M&M's minis
4 teaspoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Cake decorator holly leaf and berry candies
60 to 66 pieces red shoestring licorice (2 inches each)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. (Dough will be soft). Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Pinch each ball at one end to taper. Insert two peanut halves in center of each ball for ears. Add one M&M mini for nose and two chocolate chips for eyes. Arrange holly and berry candies in front of one ear.
Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Gently insert one licorice piece into each warm cookie for tail. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Editor's Note: Reduced-fat peanut butter is not recommended for this recipe.

Originally published as Peanut Butter Christmas Mice in Taste of Home December/January 2004, p27