How to make mice

[rookie]

Anyone out there have any instructions on how to make chocolate mice?

Would they have a ganache center? For white would Grandmarnier be a good flavour? Any other suggestions on good flavours for white chocolate?

Someone please help

Cheers

Mary - Rookie

[Wendy DeBord]

I make truffle mice regularly.

Instructions-hum....kind of hard to put into words............

Basicly, I wait until my ganche is very set/yet still pipeable or I gently rewarm firm ganche. Then I pipe them out on a sheet pan. The "design" is all in how well you pipe. It's a visual thing, but you pipe the body first then release up and in a continuous stroke add the head as a smaller ball on the base....as your final release your forming the nose of the mouse (pointing upward) and you let that drag off to a peak. I insert almonds for their ears. Then I freeze them before dipping.

Freezing before dipping is somewhat controversal....but my ganche recipe (from Norman Love) is very soft. If you use a firmer ganche then you don't need to freeze them....but then they won't be as creamy soft when you bite into them either.

I'm going out of town later this day so I can't follow up with further help, sorry. But I will check back here when I return. I'll send a photo of my mice to Kevin and hopefully he can post it for you..... just try to copy what I did. Good Luck.

[Katherine]

How big are your molds? Ganache sounds good, but if they're much bigger than one or two bites, no one will be able to eat a whole one.

I find white chocolate rather sweet. Consider mixing crushed wafers or rice krispies in the filling, to add some crunch and dilute the sweetness a bit.

My feeling is that milk chocolate coating would give a more natural appearance. Perhaps you can brush the surface with melted chocolate to give them a furry look.

Can you show us pictures when you finish?

[nightscotsman]

I'm sorry, but just can't help picturing you holding little squirming rodents by the tail as you carefully drown them in tempered chocolate...

[PastryLady]

little squirming rodents by the tail as you carefully drown them in tempered chocolate...

Yep, that's the way I want to go. Sounds like a piece of heaven to me

[rookie]

Thank you for your comments and suggestions.

Katherine - I don't actually have molds to make them. They won't be very big at all. I plan on using ganache and pipe them as Wendy suggested. I did make them one other time...but it was so long ago I forget how do do them. I don't have a digital camera or scanner so I am not sure if I can post a picture. Even if I was able to borrow a digital camera I am not sure how to post a picture. I will try though....but no promises. I will give them a try in the next couple of weeks.

Cheers

Mary - Rookie

[kthull]

Here are Wendy's mice.

Very cool because they're upright. Friberg has them in his book, but they're basically a decorated teardrop shape. I like these much better.

Thanks Wendy!

[Wendy DeBord]

God, now that I see that photo posted I'm horrified and embarsed!!!!!!!!!!! Yeaks.........I'm crawling under a rock now!

But in my defense (which I feel the need to write to somehow rectify my reputation) I had a bitch of a time on the job I did that batch on. Only one factor in a barrage of factors: I had to hold them in the cooler over night before I had time to dip them and when I returned the next morning they were completely wet from humidity (I wound up towel drying each one). Can you tell they don't provide rubber gloves.............?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, going back under my rock.

[docsconz]

I thought they looked pretty good.

[rookie]

Well, I attempted the mice. They weren't too bad for a novice. Wendy I am trying to get a picture so that I can post it for you to see. Just wondering what size tip you use when piping?

Mary

[Wendy DeBord]

Mary, I'd love to see you pictures. I can't tell you a tip size-I just grab what-ever and pipe as small as possible to form and still be able to handle. They're like two bites worth in size, the head then the body.

Your being generous Docsconz, thanks.......but..........not true.......but I can tell you for sure they tasted auesome anyway. It's alllllll about the ganche inside..........