Monday, October 26, 2015

Spider Cookies



Happy Howloween! All week long we're bringing you Eat, Drink and Be Scary recipes to make your Halloween even more spooky and fun.

Over the years, I have whipped up enough recipes in my cauldron for an entire dinner. Including, of course, the famous Chicken Scaryaki that makes grown men run from the room. Hehehe.

I have offered vampire cupcakes, ghost potatoes, and Dead Man's Bones, which, make no mistake, is actually a finger-licking good rib recipe and not just for Halloween.

So this year, I really wanted to make something that busy parents and grandparents could whip up. Something that didn't require special ingredients or hours in the kitchen. I stumbled on just the thing at hungryhappenings.

Beth at hungryhappenings had the brilliant idea of spider-infested cookies. She used Cook's Illustrated's chocolate chip cookie recipe, which I had been eager to try. They use one egg and one egg yolk to get the right texture.

The great thing is that you can do this with your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's possible (but I haven't tried) that you might be able to do this with slice and bake cookies as well.

For those who are pressed for time and don't want to bake anything, I tried it on a store bought gingersnap cookie. You can see in the photo below that it worked out fine!

The chocolate will be wet, of course, so make your spiders far enough ahead for the chocolate to dry, unless your little goblins don't mind licking their fingers!

For the record, the recipe calls for baking the cookies at 325. I tried that but thought they seemed too dry. I turned the heat up to 350 for a batch and liked those better.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from Cook's Illustrated via Beth at hungryhappenings.com)

12 tablespoons butter
2 1/8 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, separated 9 ounces + 3 ounces

Preheat oven to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Melt the butter. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir with a fork to combine. Set aside.

Beat the butter with the sugars for a couple of minutes. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture slowly, mixing well. Mix in 9 ounces of chocolate chips. The dough will be very thick.

Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to make rounds about the size of a golf ball and set them on the parchment paper about three inches apart. If there are no chocolate chips on the top of the mounds, press a few of the remaining chocolate chips where you need them as the bodies of the spiders. Bake 14-18 minutes until golden brown on the edges but soft in the middle. Cool on a rack. Cookies must be cool to decorate with spiders.

Chocolate Spiders

Melt 2-3 ounces of chocolate chips. Can be done in the microwave in short 15-20 second bursts, stirring in between. Cut a tiny notch in a disposable pastry bag or a zip top bag. Spoon the melted chocolate into the bag. Squeezing the bag, make a head for your spider and add eight legs. Repeat on the next spider.

Thick dough!

About the size of a golf ball.

Store bought gingersnap with spider!




COMING NOVEMBER 24TH!
Bandana colors. Not all colors available in all sizes.


As you probably know, MURDER MOST HOWL is coming in less than a month! Now that I'm counting the days, I have some bandanas to give away!

They come in three sizes:
TEACUP - 10x10x15 inches for tiny dogs, (7 lbs and under)
SMALL - 14x14x20 inches for small dogs
ONE SIZE FITS MOST - 22x22x31 inches for medium to large dogs

If you would like a bandana, leave a comment with your email address, preferred size, and color! Good luck!

And have a very

21 comments:

  1. Thank you for the cookie recipe. They look so good! I like the spiders (on the spider cookie). Just too cute.
    I would love to win a bandana, please. Lavender or light pink for One Size Fits Most.
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
    Thank you!

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  2. Isn't it wonderful when simple and easy equals clever and cute?
    Nicely done.

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  3. Great recipe! I love the spiders!
    I would love to win a bandana! Red in small.
    krauseklan@gmail.com

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  4. Great recipe! I love the spiders!
    I would love to win a bandana! Red in small.
    krauseklan@gmail.com

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  5. Cute cookies! I'm looking forward to Murder Most Howl.

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  6. Love the spider cookies, but I am twisted enough to serve them to adults who fear spiders, Looking forward to the new book. My dog is a black male. lizstraw at sbcglobal dot net

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  7. I love this series! I can't wait for the next book. Hoping for many more to come. I would love a bandana, size small. Any color is fine.
    estelleheather@gmail.com

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  8. Thanks for this giveaway. A purple small bandana would be great. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. What delectable cookies! A green small bandana for Bogie sounds lovely. Many thanks. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  10. This recipe looks delicious, can't wait to try it. I'd love to get this great bandana. My Sami (a sweet little Westie) would look devastatingly handsome in this!! He would wear a small. Also, can't wait to read this book! chettysmom@yahoo.com

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  11. I have 3 small yorkies and would love to have a pink bandana in a small size. Thank you so much for your giveaway. jr_dj_gantt@juno.com

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  12. Tucker got one of your other bandanas. I think Skylar is jealous. She's 11 months old now, but big. So she'd need the One size fits most. ;) In pink or purple would be good.
    pmettert@yahoo.com

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  13. Fun post, Krista! Love the "Boo" sign in the background -- and the clever cookies. When spiders are made of chocolate, I'm in!

    Have a delicious Halloween!

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  14. I love the creativity with which you made those spiders. Definitely have to try that! Skittle still wears his old bandana, but would love to model a green or tie die one promoting you newest book (one size fits most). servedogmom@yahoo.com

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  15. I love the spiders! I'd love to win a bandana - one size fits most in red (or any other color). Jlsbookclub@nc.rr.com

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  16. This is one of my most very favorite series and I cant wait for the release!! I sure hope my pre-order gets here fast. I would love to win a bandana. Tyler would wear one size fits most or the larger size. but i am sure my sister's little ones could wear the small. thanks for the opportunity. kayt18 at comcast dot net

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  17. I was chuckling over the idea of chocolate spiders on my cookies. It made me smile. The bandanas look like such fun. I would be interested in a one size fits most in red, dark green, or the purplish blue if possible (or any other color for that size if the chosen ones are not available).
    littlelamblst@yahoo.com

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  18. Krista, I think of you every Halloween now, since I first made the Chicken Scaryaki! Those cookies look yummy, so will be trying them soon. I'd love a one-size-fits-most for Luke in green. Thanks!

    lola777_22 (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete