Peanut Butter Cookie Ghosts Food

EASY GHOST COOKIES

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Once the chips begin to melt, stir occasionally until completely smooth. Remove from the heat but keep over the double boiler or saucepan to keep the white chocolate warm.
• Working with 1 cookie at a time, dip into the warm white chocolate until almost completely coated. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the chocolate evenly over the cookie and lay on the prepared baking sheets. Once all of the cookies are dipped, refrigerate until the white chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the semisweet chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl over the double boiler. Stir until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe 2 oval eyes and a slightly larger oval mouth on each ghost cookie. Return to the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes.

QUICK GHOST COOKIES

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip cookies into coating, covering completely; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. , Brush ends with a pastry brush dipped in coating where fingers touched cookies. Let stand until set. If desired, use melted chocolate chips to pipe faces onto cookies. Insert pop sticks into cookies. Store in an airtight container.

SCARY PEANUT BUTTER SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Separate the chocolate candy balls into larger and smaller balls. The larger balls will make up the spider bodies and the smaller balls the heads.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Cream the sugar and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter and mix until creamy, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on medium until incorporated, then turn the speed down to low again and add the rest of the flour mixture. Beat on medium until incorporated.
• Roll the dough by hand into 1-inch balls, place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are light golden brown and have spread to about 2 inches wide, about 16 minutes. The cookies are done when they smell very peanut buttery and the tops feel dry and slightly firm when pressed with fingers.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly so that it is slightly thickened but still pipe-able.
• When the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Immediately push 2 chocolate candies directly into each hot cookie, putting a smaller chocolate ball toward the edge of the cookie and a larger chocolate ball directly behind it in the center of the cookie.
• When the melted chocolate has thickened slightly, put it into a plastic bag and cut a small hole in the corner to create a piping bag. Pipe 8 legs on each cookie, starting from the point where the 2 chocolate candies meet. Pipe the front 4 legs so that they curve up toward the head and the back 4 legs so that they curve backward beyond the body. Reserve the remaining chocolate in the piping bag for the pupils of the eyes.
• To make eyes, pipe two 1/4-inch circles on the "heads" of each spider with the cake decorating gel. Pipe a tiny dot of the reserved melted chocolate in the center of each to make the pupils.

PEANUT BUTTER MONSTER COOKIES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Beat shortening, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large bowl on medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, eggs and water; mix well.
• COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Stir in oats. Gradually add to peanut butter mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. candy coated chocolate pieces and coconut. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
• DROP by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 2-inch circles. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
• VARIATION
• JUMBO PEANUT BUTTER MONSTER COOKIES: Prepare cookie dough as directed above. Drop by 1/4-cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 3-inch circles. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until light brown around edges. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

BANANA GHOSTS WITH PEANUT BUTTER DIP

Steps:

• Start the ghosts: Line a baking sheet with parchment and make room for it in your freezer. Peel the bananas and cut in half crosswise, then lengthwise for 8 pieces total. Insert 1 stick in the short, flat side of each; arrange on the prepared baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the dip: Combine the cream cheese and brown sugar in a food processor; process until light and very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides then add the peanut butter, yogurt and vanilla. Process, scraping down the sides halfway through, until very light and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Combine the semisweet chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50-percent power in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted, about 60 seconds total. Transfer to a resealable sandwich bag, twist to close like a pastry bag and snip a small corner. Pipe concentric circles on the surface of the dip. Drag a toothpick through the circles, starting from the center and working your way out, to create a spider web design. Add a few candy spiders, if desired.
• Finish the ghosts: Once the bananas are frozen, combine the white chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and melt, stirring until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Hold a frozen banana over the bowl and spoon white chocolate over the top, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Return to the parchment-lined baking sheet and press in 3 chocolate chips, flat-sides up, to make 2 eyes and a mouth. Repeat with the remaining bananas and chocolate chips. Return to the freezer until the white chocolate is hardened, at least 15 minutes, up to 4 hours.