CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY MICE

Steps:

• 1. **Note** I didn't put amounts in my ingredients, as the amounts all vary based on how many you'd like to make -- I only listed amounts for the chocolate chips and shortening, so the chocolate/shortening ratio would be correct. Feel free to alter it based on amount being made. Also, if you would like the "nose" tinted pink, you can add a bit of food coloring into the white chocolate after applying all of the "eyes"
• 2. Drain cherries WELL, and pat dry with a paper towel. Unwrap your Hersheys kisses.
• 3. In a small saucepan, melt together chocolate chips and shortening over low to medium/low heat, stirring frequently.
• 4. Dip your cherry into the melted chocolate and place on its side onto a tray lined with wax paper. Immediately stick a Hershey's kiss to the wet chocolate to act as the "head". Slide 2 sliced almonds in between the kiss and the cherry to act as "ears". Continue until all mice are assembled. Place in fridge to firm up.
• 5. When mice are firm, melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. You will use this or the eyes and the nose. Either use a toothpick to apply the white chocolate, or pour the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag with a very small corner clipped and pipe onto the mice.
• 6. If you're using black gel icing, place the mice in the fridge to firm up the white chocolate. When the white chocolate is firm, use the black gel icing to make pupils on the white eyes (using a toothpick works well). If you're using black sprinkles, carefully stick one to the wet white chocolate icing, and place in the fridge.