Spider Cookies

If you follow me on Instagram, you have already heard this story, and so I will apologize if I repeat myself. One day here recently, e and I found a caterpillar in our yard. Actually, we found two, but the other one deceased in a very unfortunate event of being squished by my shoe. With my foot in it. Attached to all of my body-weight. I promise I didn't mean to, the poor thing just happened to be in my way. To save the other caterpillar, we decided to move him to a safer spot on the butterfly bush in front of e's window. 

Around the bush, I ran into a spider web. No big deal, I thought, looking around for any traces of a probably now unhappy Momma spider, but couldn't find one. Back to the mission of finding our caterpillar a new home, I lean forward and almost had him on a branch, when e looks at me and says -

"There's a spider, Mama" 

"Where?" 

"On your back!"

And as she says these words, out of the corner of my eye I can see a big huge black and yellow garden spider crawling up on my shoulder. O_o 

I screamed. And took off my shirt. In the middle of our yard {sorry, neighbors}. All the while worrying it may get caught in my everyday mom hair bun. Luckily it didn't. 

That said, sometimes I would prefer not to have a close encounter like this one to get me in the spirit of things. Baking spider cookies instead is a much better idea. And just in case you are in the mood, here is a very simple way of preparing them with cookies, Chocolate Truffles, Syrup and candied eyes.

I started with a basic snickerdoodles recipe, though I have seen it done with a Peanut butter cookie and it turns out better if you ask me. But we have Peanut allergies in our household and thus a snickerdoodle will have to do.

So, once you mix your cookies, roll them into small balls about one inch in diameter and begin baking them as directed. However, once they rise into dome shapes {around 10 minutes of baking}, dent the cookies and the finish baking them. I used my measuring spoon in 1 TBSP size.

Let them cool almost completely. Use melted semi-sweet chocolate to draw out legs and place the Truffle Pralines on top. You want them to slightly melt, so they stick.

Pop some eyes on them and you are pretty much done. Easy as that.

Basic Snickerdoodle Recipe   

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c granulated sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour 

I omitted the additional 2 TBSP sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon for this recipe.

Directions

1. With a standard kitchen mixer, in a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. 


2. Add 1 c sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. 


3. Beat in egg and vanilla . Add the flour gradually.


4. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.


5. After chilling, shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches or more apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 11 minutes. 
Transfer to wire rack and cool. 

You will have about 36 cookies.

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