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Peanut Butter Spider Cookies Recipe

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4.4 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Sara
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 48 cookies

Description

These Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween or any spooky occasion. Soft peanut butter cookies with a soft chocolate truffle center are decorated with candy eyes and piped chocolate frosting legs to resemble spiders. The combination of creamy peanut butter, sweet chocolate, and crispy sugar coating creates a delightful taste and texture that kids and adults will love.

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For Coating

  • ¼ cup white sugar for rolling

Decoration

  • 24 chocolate truffles (such as Lindt Lindor®), chilled
  • 48 decorative candy eyeballs
  • ½ cup prepared chocolate frosting

Instructions

  1. Prepare Ingredients: Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  2. Make Dough Base: In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup white sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat the beaten egg into the mixture until fully incorporated. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture into the peanut butter mixture, stirring until it forms a uniform dough.
  4. Shape Dough Balls: Divide the dough into 48 equal portions and shape each into a ball.
  5. Coat and Arrange: Spread ¼ cup white sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball in the sugar to coat evenly. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  6. Bake Cookies: Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
  7. Form Dimples & Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and immediately press a dimple into the center of each cookie using the blunt end of a wooden spoon or a citrus reamer. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Prepare Spider Bodies: Cut each chilled chocolate truffle in half. Place one half rounded side up in each cookie dimple to form the spider’s body.
  9. Decorate Spiders: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or use a plastic bag with a small corner cut off) with chocolate frosting. Dab a small amount of frosting on the back of each candy eyeball and attach two eyes onto each truffle piece. Pipe four thin lines from the base of the chocolate candy on each side of the cookie to resemble spider legs.
  10. Set and Store: Allow the frosting to harden at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Store the decorated cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Notes

  • A wooden citrus reamer works well to create consistent dimples on the cookies.
  • Keep the chocolate truffles chilled before slicing to avoid them bending or cracking due to softness.
  • Mini peanut butter cups can be used as a substitute for the chocolate truffles to create the spider body.
  • Add red gel frosting around the eyes to create a spooky, bloodshot effect for Halloween.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

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