Description
Chocolate Cherry Mice are adorable, festive treats made by wrapping maraschino cherries in a sweet dough, dipping them in melted milk chocolate, and decorating with Hershey’s Kisses and almond slices to create cute little mice. These charming confections are perfect for holiday parties or a whimsical dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
Other Ingredients
- 20 ounces maraschino cherries with stems, well drained and dried
- 10 ounce milk chocolate melting wafers
- 30 milk chocolate almond Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped, for the heads
- Almond slices for the ears
- Black decorative icing for the eyes
- Red sugar pearls for the nose
Instructions
- Prepare baking trays. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make dough base. In a large bowl, add the softened butter, corn syrup, and almond extract. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to mix until smooth and fully combined.
- Add powdered sugar. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar into the bowl and knead together by hand until a soft, pliable dough forms.
- Shape dough around cherries. Pinch off approximately ½ tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Place one maraschino cherry into the center with the stem exposed, and wrap the dough around it to enclose the cherry, keeping the stem sticking out.
- Smooth and chill. Gently roll each dough-covered cherry between your palms to smooth the surface without breaking the stems. Place finished mice on prepared trays and refrigerate for 3 hours until firm.
- Melt chocolate wafers. Melt the milk chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until smooth. Alternatively, use a double boiler or candy melting pot over low heat.
- Dip in chocolate. Holding each dough-wrapped cherry by its stem, dip it into the melted chocolate to coat the body. Lay the dipped cherry on its side on the parchment-lined tray.
- Add head and ears. Immediately press the bottom of a milk chocolate almond Hershey’s Kiss onto the side opposite the stem to form the mouse head. Place two almond slices between the cherry body and Kiss head to create ears.
- Decorate faces. Use a toothpick to dab a tiny drop of melted chocolate onto the tip of each Kiss and attach a red sugar pearl for the nose. Allow to set. Then use black decorative icing to dot the eyes on each mouse’s Kiss head.
- Chill before serving. Refrigerate the completed chocolate cherry mice until ready to serve to keep them firm and fresh.
Notes
- Use premium milk or dark chocolate melting wafers like Ghirardelli for the best texture and flavor; avoid regular candy melts.
- If dough is too sticky, add more powdered sugar or chill briefly to make it easier to handle.
- Microwave chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring in between, to prevent burning.
- A candy melter or double boiler keeps chocolate warm and smooth while dipping.
- You can substitute Hershey’s Kiss flavors but match the head to the chocolate coating color.
- For eyes, candy eyeballs or small chocolate drops can be substituted for black icing.
- Almond extract enhances the flavor, but vanilla or coconut extract are good alternatives.
- Store leftover mice covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mouse
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 25 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
