Christmas Eve Mice

Noah's winter concert. The big one — concert band AND jazz band, two performances in one evening. He played clarinet in the concert band (kidding — saxophone, always saxophone, the clarinet joke is Noah's, delivered with the deadpan timing of a boy who has learned that humor about band instruments is a niche but reliable genre). The concert band played "Sleigh Ride" and "O Holy Night" and a medley of carols that sounded like every middle school winter concert in America, which is to say it was imperfect and earnest and exactly right.

Then the jazz band. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" — the Sinatra arrangement, slow and smoky, and Noah had eight bars of solo and he played them with his eyes closed and the notes hung in the auditorium like ornaments on a tree, fragile and bright and suspended in the specific silence of people listening to something beautiful. I cried. I always cry. Kevin held my hand. He always holds my hand. The crying and the hand-holding are as much a part of the concert as the music.

I made Christmas fudge this week — the Marlene recipe, the one that requires a candy thermometer and patience and the willingness to stir boiling sugar for twenty minutes without stopping. Chocolate, marshmallow cream, evaporated milk, sugar, butter, vanilla. Poured into a buttered pan, cooled, cut into squares that are dense and rich and taste like December condensed into a one-inch cube. I make it every year. I will always make it. The candy thermometer is Marlene's. The patience is Marlene's. The fudge is mine but it's also hers, the way everything I make in December is mine and also hers, the ghost in the kitchen, the hands beneath my hands, the voice that says, "Don't stop stirring."

School's almost out. The kids have the vibrating energy of children who can see Christmas from where they're standing but can't quite reach it yet. Jack made his Christmas list: seeds (six varieties of heirloom tomatoes), a soil testing kit, and a subscription to a gardening magazine. He's eight. His Christmas list is an agricultural supply order. Kevin said, "Doesn't he want a toy?" I said, "Seeds ARE a toy." Kevin didn't argue. You can't argue with a boy who wants seeds for Christmas. You can only buy them and wrap them and watch him open them with the pure joy of a child who has received exactly what he asked for, which is the chance to grow something.

The fudge takes patience — twenty minutes of stirring, a candy thermometer, full attention — and I love it for exactly that reason. But somewhere between pouring the fudge into the pan and waiting for it to set, I always make a batch of Christmas Eve Mice, because they require almost nothing and delight everyone, especially a boy who is currently more interested in soil testing kits than candy but will still absolutely eat three of these without being asked. They live on the same tray as the fudge every year, the easy treat beside the labored one, and together they are December on a plate.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min (plus chilling) | Servings: 24

Ingredients

24 maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry
24 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
24 Oreo cookies, separated (use the plain wafer halves without filling)
48 almond slices (for ears)
Black decorating gel or mini chocolate chips (for eyes)
Red string licorice, cut into 3-inch pieces (for tails)

Instructions

Melt the chocolate. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the base. Lay out the plain Oreo wafer halves flat side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. These will form the body base for each mouse.
Assemble the body. Dip the bottom of one chocolate kiss into the melted chocolate and press it onto the center of an Oreo wafer. The pointed tip of the kiss becomes the mouse’s nose. Hold for a few seconds until it begins to set.
Attach the cherry. Dip a maraschino cherry (by its stem) partway into the melted chocolate, then tuck it behind the chocolate kiss so the stem extends out as the tail. Press gently to secure.
Add the ears. While the chocolate is still tacky, press two almond slices into the sides of the chocolate kiss, angling them upward to form ears.
Add the eyes. Use black decorating gel or press two mini chocolate chips, flat side out, into the front of the kiss just below the tip to create eyes.
Chill to set. Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is fully firm.
Serve. Arrange on a holiday cookie tray. Store covered in a cool place for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Christmas Eve Mice — The Holiday Treat I Make Alongside the Fudge Every December