As children my brothers and I loved these funny little confections which were always made for us by two elderly sisters who lived in our village. I persuaded them to teach me how to make them and they are now loved by my nieces and nephews.
Sugar mice,or for that matter sugar pigs or rabbits are also very popular at school fêtes and charity bazaars and have the advantage of needing no cooking Pink and white are of course the traditional colours but these days the sky,s the limit and there is no reason why mice cannot be orange or pigs blue.
To make the mice you will need.
300g icing sugar
I egg white
a few halved blanched almonds
chocolate drops
red food colouring
strawberry flavouring
peppermint essence
white string or even coloured wool
Separate the egg white from the yolk,set the yolk aside and beat the egg white until frothy.
Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and add the egg white, mix together to form a firm paste. Eggs can be of different sizes so do not worry if your mix becomes a little too wet,just add some more icing sugar.
Divide the mixture in to two and in to one half add a few drops of red food colouring and a drop of strawberry flavouring ,into the remaining white mixture add a drop or two of peppermint essence.
Mix in thoroughly and knead each piece so ensure smoothness.
Cut each colour paste into four pieces and roll each one in to an oval then pinch in pone end to make the mouses nose.
Lay out the mice on greased proof paper, cut tail sized pieces of string and using a cocktail stick push it in to the sugar paste deep enough so that the tail will not easily fall out. Use three chocolate drops to form the eyes and nose, the use either the halved almonds or a chocolate button cut carefully in half to form the ears.
Leave them to set for a day or so in a dry place them wrap carefully in cellophane or cling film.
Remember, you can use what ever colourings and flavourings you happen to have and do have a go at a pig or two.
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