Lost with Luis {Holiday Edition}: Peanut Butter Christmas Mice Cookie Recipe in honour of my one year cativersary with Levi

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse – because I ate them all.  Literally all of them in one sitting.

#NoRegrets
#WorthIt

This weekend marks my one year anniversary since I brought my cat Levi to his forever home. ‘Tis the season for delicious baked goods and i've been watching a LOT of Christmas Food Network shows, so I felt like this was the perfect activity to celebrate this important milestone. I am also obsessed with peanut butter, so I’m always down for a peanut butter sweet treat.

There are several variations online if you google 'Christmas Peanut Butter Mice Cookies", but I have slightly altered mine to meet my tastebuds *hint a little extra peanut butter, amongst a few other minor changes. Because that’s what baking is all about.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter. While I am a fan of crunchy, ALL NATURAL peanut butter, this isn't the place for it.  I recommend the sugary bad stuff like Jiffy.  Balance, right? Trust me, you won’t get the same kind of cookie with the natural stuff.
1 large egg
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Decorations:

Red pull n' peel twizzlers, cut into 2.5 inch pieces

Peanuts, carefully split in two halves by pressing them gently between two fingers

Black food colouring piping for the nose and eyes (note: mini chocolate chips work too!)

Half a teaspoon of honey (only if required to bind the ears)

Directions:

Mix both sugars, peanut butter and butter together well.
Add vanilla & egg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda
Slowly beat into peanut butter mixture.
Once all is mixed together, refrigerate for about an hour until dough is firm.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Shape dough into small 1.5 inch balls and taper one side to make it pointier and giving it the shape of a mouse.
*TIP: I suggest you try a small batch first until you get the desired size and shape*
Place on baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Immediately after taking out of oven, insert licorice tale and begin decorating.
*TIP: The peanut ears can be a bit finicky and fall off, so I use a small amount of honey to act as a binding agent*
Let cookies cool, then enjoy!