Twice as mice

There will be no need for a mousetrap when you serve these little cuties at your Christmas table – just watch them disappear! - by Better Homes and Gardens

With sliced almonds for ears and red licorice tails, what’s not to love?

Ingredients

• 250g dark couverture chocolate, broken into pieces

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup pure cream

• Sliced almonds with skin on, red string licorice and small cachous, to decorate

Note: Allow 1 hour standing and 1 hour chilling

Tip Couverture chocolate can be found in specialty food shops or delis. Goodquality dark chocolate can be used in its place.

Method

Combine chocolate, peanut butter, butter and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Put cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to the boil. Remove from heat, pour over chocolate mixture and let mixture stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stand at room temperature for 1 hour or until thickened.
Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Spoon chocolate mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Pipe into mounds about the size of a 10-cent piece, lifting the tip of the bag at an angle to create a pointy nose. Immediately add almond slices for the ears, licorice for the tail and cachous for the eyes. Chill for 1 hour or until chocolate has set.