Spider Cookie Food

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.

SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together in the microwave or in a double boiler.
• Mix in the chinese noodles and peanuts.
• Form (as best you can) into spiders (about a tablespoon) on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
• Freeze until firm.
• Store in the freezer.

SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• In saucepan over medium heat melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.
• Remove from heat and add chow mien noodles, turning over until all coated.
• Add peanuts and turn over until all coated.
• Drop in tablespoon sized heaps on wax paper lined cookie tray.
• Refrigerate until hardened (overnight is best).

SPIDERWEB SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat until fluffy. Blend in the vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll half of the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into circles using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass. Gather and reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining dough. Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until just golden. Do not allow cookies to brown.
• To decorate, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a heatproof bowl for 1 minutes. The chips may look unmelted, but stir them with a spoon to see if they have actually softened before putting them in for another minute, if necessary. Spoon the melted chocolate into a zipper-lock bag. Seal the bag, pressing out any air. Use a toothpick to make a very tiny hole in one corner of the bag to release a very thin stream of chocolate for writing.
• To make the spiderwebs, spread white royal icing smoothly over the surface. Immediately, before the icing can set, pipe a spiral of chocolate over the surface, starting in the middle and working outward. Starting in the center, use a toothpick to pull outward through the icing, making a spiderweb design.
• With beaters or a standing mixer, whip the egg white and lemon juice until frothy. At medium speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is thick but still liquid enough to beat. Then beat on high until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap while waiting to use it. Royal icing will set to a firm, glossy finish when applied to a cookie. The icing can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

PEANUT BUTTER SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with baking parchment.
• Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup white sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat egg into the creamy mixture until fully incorporated. Stir milk and vanilla extract into the mixture until smooth.
• Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl; add to the wet mixture in the large bowl and stir until completely incorporated into a dough. Divide and shape dough into 48 balls.
• Spread 1/4 cup white sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in sugar to coat and arrange about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and quickly press a dimple into the middle of each cookie using the blunt end of a wooden spoon. Cool cookies on sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Cut each chocolate sphere into two hemispheres. Put one piece atop each cookie with the rounded side facing upwards.
• Spoon frosting into a pastry bag with a small round tip or a plastic freezer bag with one end snipped off. Dab a small amount of frosting onto the back of each candy eyeball and stick two onto each chocolate candy to resemble eyes. Then pipe frosting in four thin lines, starting at the base of the candy, on each side atop the cookie to resemble spider legs.
• Let frosting harden at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container.

HALLOWEEN SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Combine flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition.
• Drop dough into 30 mounds, 2 inches apart, on parchment-covered baking sheets. Gently flatten each mound with bottom of clean drinking glass.
• Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 2 min. Gently press 1 milk chocolate piece into top of each warm cookie. Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
• Melt white chocolate as directed on package; spoon into resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag; use to squeeze some of the melted chocolate into spider web pattern around edge of each cookie as shown in photo. Use remaining melted chocolate to add 2 small dots of chocolate to each milk chocolate piece for the spider's eyes. Let stand 10 min. or until chocolate is firm.
• Use orange decorating icing fitted with small round tip to add the spiders' legs as shown in photo.

HALLOWEEN PEANUT SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. , Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake until tops are slightly cracked, 15-17 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Immediately press 1 mini peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Let stand until set., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Place mixture in a resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Adhere candy eyes to peanut butter cups with melted chocolate mixture. Pipe 8 lines alongside each peanut butter cup to resemble spider legs. Let stand until set.

CHOCOLATE SPIDERS

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate confectioners' coating and place into a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the chow mein noodles so they are evenly distributed. Spoon out to desired size onto waxed paper. Let cool completely before storing or serving.

SPOOKY SPIDER COOKIES

Steps:

• For each cookie, cut eight 1 1/2-inch pieces of licorice for legs. Insert 4 pieces into filling on each side of each cookie.
• With frosting, attach 2 M&M's™ minis chocolate candies to top of each cookie for eyes.

SPIDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Using an electric hand whisk, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Once combined, stir in the flour, bicarb and ¼ tsp salt.
• Scoop 18-20 tbsps of the mixture onto the trays, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading. Make a thumbprint in the centre of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 mins or until firm at the edges but still soft in the middle - they'll harden a little as they cool. Leave to cool on the tray for a few mins before topping each biscuit with a peanut butter cup, Rolo or Malteser. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Heat the chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, until just liquid. Scrape into a piping bag and leave to cool a little. Pipe the legs onto each spider, then stick two eyes on each. Leave to set. Will keep for three days in an airtight container.