Brown Mouse Christmas Cookies: The most adorable cookies ever

One recipe beat out all others for most adorable cookie entered in this year’s Dayton Daily News Holiday Cookie Contest.

Lee Quellhorst of Centerville was an honorable mention winner with her Brown Mouse Christmas Cookies, based on the book, “How Brown Mouse Kept Christmas,” by Clyde Watson.

Brown Mouse Christmas Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

Marachino cherry stems for the tails

Decorating candies, sprinkles

Directions:

1. Pre-heat over to 350 degres.

2. Whip butter until it is creamy and fluffy.

 

3. Gradually add the sugar, vanilla and flour until a soft dough forms. Dough can be made a day or two in advance, just cover and keep refrigerated.

4. Form tablespoons of the dough into balls and pinch them into the oval shape of a small mouse.

5. Press only the stem from a maraschino cherry into the base of the cookie to make the tail.

6. Poke in 2 sliced almonds for the mouse ears.

7. Place the mice on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until they are just staring to brown slightly.

9. Remove the cookies from the sheet while still warm.

10. Coat each mouse with the icing, using a toothpick to make it smooth. You can use black icing for the eyes and noses or use black candies.

11. Sprinkle the tops of the mouse with candy sprinkles while glaze is still soft. Use black food coloring and lightly brush on the whiskers if desired after the glaze has set and dried.

Sugar Cookie Glaze

Ingredients:

¼ cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons of almond extract

6 cups confectioners sugar

Gel food coloring

1. Add the first 3 ingredients to a large bowl and mix until completely combined, adding the milk slowly at the end until the icing is smooth and creamy.

2. Blend in the food coloring for any colors that you need. This icing will keep for weeks on the kitchen counter in a sealed container.

3. Use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly before it sets. This icing dries with a nice shine and cookies can be stacked once completely dry.

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