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Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies Recipe

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These Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for spooky celebrations. Soft peanut butter cookies topped with mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups become creepy-crawly spiders with chocolate legs and candy eyes, making them a delightful and festive dessert for all ages.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar, plus extra for rolling
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decorations

  • 18 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 36 candy eyes

Instructions

  1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) to ensure it’s ready when your cookies are shaped and on the baking tray.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt thoroughly to evenly distribute the leavening agent and salt.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugars: In a larger bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined.
  4. Add Peanut Butter, Egg, and Vanilla: Beat in the peanut butter until incorporated, then add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine all ingredients.
  5. Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, forming the cookie dough.
  6. Shape and Sugar Coat Cookies: Divide the dough into 18 equal portions and roll each into balls. Then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat the outside for a slightly crunchy texture.
  7. Bake the Cookies: Place dough balls on a cookie sheet spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
  8. Create Peanut Butter Cup Indentations: Remove cookies from the oven and immediately press an indentation in the center of each cookie to hold the mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup later.
  9. Cool the Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack to ensure they hold their shape during decorating.
  10. Melt Chocolate and Butter: Place chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring between, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
  11. Prepare Chocolate for Decorating: Transfer the melted chocolate to a condiment squeeze bottle, decorating bag, or a small zip-lock bag with a tiny corner snipped off for piping.
  12. Assemble Spiders: Unwrap the mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and place one upside down into each cookie indentation, securing with a dollop of melted chocolate as glue.
  13. Pipe Spider Legs: Use the chocolate to pipe eight “legs” extending from the peanut butter cup onto the cookie surface, mimicking spider legs.
  14. Attach Candy Eyes: Use small dollops of melted chocolate to attach two candy eyes to each peanut butter cup, creating cute spider faces.
  15. Let Set and Serve: Allow the chocolate to cool and harden completely at room temperature before serving your festive spider cookies.

Notes

  • Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing.
  • If you don’t have a condiment bottle, a zip-lock bag with a small cut corner works well for piping chocolate.
  • Spacing cookies at least 2 inches apart prevents them from spreading into each other.
  • Let cookies cool completely before decorating to prevent melted chocolate from sliding off.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Keywords: Halloween cookies, peanut butter cookies, Reese's peanut butter cups, spider cookies, festive treats, Halloween dessert

Find it online: https://zarameals.com/halloween-peanut-butter-spider-cookies-recipe/