Christmas Mice Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
peanuts
cinnamon candies
licorice shoelaces, cut in 3" pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Beat margarine and peanut butter at medium speed in mixing bowl. Slowly add sugars, beat well. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Mix flour and soda together; slowly add to creamed mixture, mix well. Cover and chill 2 hours. Shape into 1" balls. Taper end of each ball to form tear-drop. Press one side flat and place flat side down onto ungreased cookie sheet 2" apart. Press sides of dough to raise backs of mice. Place nut halves for ears. Make a hole at the tail with a toothpick. Bake 9 minutes. Put red candy eyes, bake 1-2 minutes more. Insert tails. Cool.

These are labor-intensive but lots of fun for the kids to help with. They love seeing them on the cookie plate, and they love eating them too of course! We tried using M&M candies for the noses and the kids decided to use black sprinkles placed for the eyes instead of the cinnamon candies. They turned out very cute!