Frogs and mice is a sweet confectionery that is eaten a lot, especially with Saint Nicholas. Some people are so addicted to this candy that they crave this treat all year round. Frogs and mice have their origins in making fun of other people during Sinterklaas days. If you are a bit handy, you can also make your own frogs and mice.
What are frogs and mice?
They appear in stores around the time of Sinterklaas: the frogs and mice. These are chocolate figures with a fondant filling. The figures have the shape of a frog or a mouse, and have an aluminum casing with an image of the frog or mouse. They are usually only available for purchase around the months of November, December and January. Some internet stores offer them earlier in the year. The famous frogs and mice are mainly given with Sinterklaas: in the shoe or as a treat on Sinterklaas evening.
What are frogs and mice made of?
The frogs and mice consist largely of a fondant, which is made from sugar, corn syrup and egg. A thin layer of chocolate is placed around it. Usually the frogs and mice consist of 10 to 15 percent chocolate and the rest of fondant.
In ancient times, the frogs and mice were filled with a softer filling, which was more creamy, or a marzipan filling. Nowadays this is no longer used, partly to keep production costs low. A normal sized frog or mouse contains about 60 Kcal each.
Where do you buy frogs and mice?
The stuffed frogs and mice can be bought at the supermarket, but also at the candy store. The larger candy stores in particular sell the more luxurious version of the frogs and mice. Internet shops also sell this candy. They are often available in bags of about 200 grams: this corresponds to 12-13 frogs and mice, also bags of larger frogs and mice are sold: the giant frogs and mice.
The tradition of frogs and mice
With Sinterklaas people tease each other a bit: think of the nice surprise poems and making a surprise for someone else. Often it is: the crazier the better. For example, a present hidden in the apple syrup. Giving a frog or a mouse is also a tease. This is because many people are frightened by a frog or mouse. This makes the joke much more fun. Probably this is how the chocolate frogs and mice were created.
Frogs and mice is a candy that not everyone likes equally: even children sometimes hate it. The filling is very sweet and is not liked by everyone. Others cannot be kept away from the frogs and mice and would prefer to eat them all year round. It’s a nice treat to put in or get in the shoe. Make sure that the frogs and mice are not too warm: they melt easily due to the layer of chocolate that is around them.
Make your own frogs and mice
Making frogs and mice requires some skill: first of all, one must have a mold with which the figures can be made. The fondant is not that difficult to make. With liquid glucose, egg and flour it is easy to make a fondant yourself. Note that a fondant is very sweet. Then a mold is poured with some warm liquid chocolate: let it cool until it is hard. The fondant is placed on top of this, after which the mold is further filled with liquid hot chocolate: this is allowed to cool again. The end result is a stuffed frog or mouse. Perhaps the biggest problem lies in the individual packaging around each frog and mouse: it is not easy to make it yourself.
Although it is fun to make them yourself, and also quite cheap, getting the right shapes is especially difficult: these small shapes are not available everywhere. But, of course it is also nice to try something different: animal figures or a house or a tree. Those who really can’t make them yourself can still buy them in the store. However, a bag of frogs or mice cannot be kept indefinitely. Most bags have an expiration date of approximately four to six months after purchase at the store. When the chocolate layer starts to turn white, it is no longer good: throw away the frogs and mice too.