Description

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween or any spooky-themed occasion. These soft and chewy cookies combine rich peanut butter flavor with a sweet chocolate center, decorated with candy eyeballs to create a spooky spider effect. Easy to make and irresistibly cute, they’re a delightful addition to any dessert table.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

½ cup 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

Coating and Decoration

¼ cup white sugar for rolling
24 chocolate candy spheres with smooth chocolate filling (such as Lindt Lindor Truffles), refrigerated until cold
48 decorative candy eyeballs
½ cup prepared chocolate frosting

Instructions

Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well to form a soft dough.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Cookies: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Shape dough by rounding heaping teaspoonfuls into balls and roll in the ¼ cup white sugar to coat. Place the cookies two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Add Chocolate Center: Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a spoon. Place one chilled chocolate candy sphere into the center of each indentation.
Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and immediately press two candy eyeballs onto each chocolate center while still soft.
Decorate with Frosting: Once the cookies have cooled completely, use prepared chocolate frosting to pipe spider legs radiating from the chocolate center to complete the spider look.
Cool and Serve: Allow the frosting to set before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Notes

For the best results, ensure the chocolate candy spheres are well chilled so they hold shape during baking.
If you prefer, you can substitute candy eyeballs with small white chocolate chips and a dot of melted chocolate for pupils.
These cookies freeze well; freeze unbaked cookie dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for baking later.
Be careful when pressing the chocolate candy spheres in the dough to avoid cracking the cookies.
Chocolate frosting can be homemade or store-bought; a thick consistency works best for piping spider legs.

Keywords: Peanut Butter Cookies, Halloween Cookies, Spider Cookies, Chocolate Filled Cookies, Festive Cookie Recipe