An old Victorian favourite… though our kids still love a sugar mouse with a string tail. These make a neat Christmas stocking fillers for little ones. Makes 12 to 16 depending on size
450g icing sugar (plus a little extra for dusting hands and surfaces) 50g golden syrup 1 egg white Pink food colouring Silver balls String for tails Sieve the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the syrup and egg white (no need to beat first) to the sugar. Mix with a fork and knead to form a smooth dough. Add a few drops of food colouring to the dough if you would like to make pink mice or to half the mixture if you want some pink and some white. Dust the work surface and hands with icing sugar and shape into small mice about 5cm long. This is done by making a sausage shape with a point at one end for a nose. Place two silver balls at this end for the eyes. Cut a piece of string for the tail and tie a knot at one end. Sink this end underneath the mouse at the back. Make two ears by flattening out two small balls of the dough and pressing them on. Leave to dry. When completely hard, place in cupcake papers on a silver-foil covered piece of card, then wrap in cellophane tied with a big bow. For other Christmas sweeties, see Old-fashioned Peppermint Creams, Christmas Pud Truffles and Chocolate-dipped Orange Peel. |
