Owl and Mice Cheese Balls

In this instructable, I will show you how to make adorable and delicious owl and mice cheese balls. You might be surprised at how simple they really are to make. I came up with a yummy peanut butter and cream cheese recipe, as I was tasked with bringing a dessert to a holiday party. You could easily use this concept to make a savory cheese ball as well, using your favorite cheese ball recipes. When I am shooting for a savory option, I typically make cheddar cheese and chive or pepper jack and jalapeno cheese balls.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Honey Roasted Peanut Butter

1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar

4 8oz Package Cream Cheese

1 Reese's Candy Bar

1 Butterfinger Bar

1/3 Cup Marshmallow Cream

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Honey Roasted Peanuts

1 Package of Shredded Coconut

2 Miniature Peanut Butter Cups

1 Cashew Nut

1 Small Package of Pretzel Sticks

1/3 lb Almond Slices

2-3 Pieces of Saltwater Taffy

Supplies:

2 Bowls

Mixing Spoon

Knife

Cutting Board

Plastic Wrap

Wax Paper

Microwave

Measuring Cups

1 Plate

Open your 4 packages of cream cheese and place in a large mixing bowl. They will be easier to mix if you don't pull them straight out of the refrigerator. I let mine sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes.

Add 1/3 of a cup of light brown sugar and 1/2 of a cup of honey roasted peanut butter. Darker brown sugar will also work just fine if you don't have light. I used fresh ground honey roasted peanut butter, but you can use whatever kind you like.

Chop the Butterfinger and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Add them to the mixing bowl.

Add 1/3 of a cup of Marshmallow Cream to the mixing bowl.

Stir the mixture until combined.

Add 1/4 of a cup of powdered sugar.

Stir until the powdered sugar is incorporated into the mixture.

Remove some of the mixture into a separate bowl for the mice. I removed somewhere between 1/4-1/3 of the mix. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Place the remaining mixture, for the owl, in an oblong shape on some plastic wrap. Tightly seal the plastic wrap and place the owl and mice mixtures in the refrigerator to chill.

Finely chop approximately 1 cup of honey roaster peanuts and set aside.

Sprinkle a cookie sheet with coconut shreds and place in a 375 degree preheated oven. Stir the coconut every minute or so until a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide the coconut onto a plate to cool.

Remove the owl mixture from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Start molding it into the shape of an owl. You will want its base to be somewhat flat so that it can sit on its own. Determine where the eyes and ears will be and mold the mixture.

Once you have the basic shape, set the bottom of the owl into the chopped peanuts. Roll the back of the owl into the peanuts and a little bit to the sides.

Sprinkle some of the nuts on the top of the head between the ears.

Dump your almond slices onto a plate for easy sorting. Starting at the base of the owl, start placing the tip of the slices of almonds into the mixture. You will want them to slowly tapper up and back. Complete on both sides of the owl.

Place the two small peanut butter cups for the eyes. Stick the small side of the cup into the mixture until it will stay on its own.

Place a cashew nut for the owls beak.

Similar to the wings, place slices of almonds around the peanut butter cups. Place about two rings of almond slices around each eye.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the shoulders of the owls until only a nice round belly of uncoated mixture remains.

Take small handfuls of the toasted coconut and press it into the owl belly until it is fully coated.

Carefully pick the owl up and place it onto your servingware.

Take some pretzel sticks and place them around the base of the owl to make a nest. Place the owl back in the refrigerator while moving on to the mice.

Give the left over nuts from the owl another chopping session to make them a little finer.

Take a good sized spoonful of the mix and roll in your hands. Shape it into a tear drop and place one your cutting board. Continue this process until you are out of the mixture or have as many mice as you would like.

Roll the mice in the chopped peanuts until they are well coated on all sides.

Place a couple pieces of saltwater taffy into the microwave. Microwave only a few seconds at a time till soft but not hot. Mix the soft pieces of taffy together. Pull small sections of the taffy off and place on wax paper to form little tails. If you get one that you don't like you can mix it back in and try again. If the taffy starts to get to firm, place it back in the microwave for a few seconds. Once you are done making your tails, allow them to cool down and firm up. It should only take a couple of minutes.

Place a taffy tail on each mouse.

Use two almond slices on each mouse for the ears.

When all the mice are completed, add them onto the servingware with the owl.

These are delicious with pretzels or gram crackers. You will want to keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.