These Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy–even for the fine motor skill impaired, i.e., me, and are a big hit with the kids!
I apologize for essentially sharing the same recipe 2 months in a row, but the theme this month for Creative Cookie Exchange is, you guessed it, Halloween! And holiday cookies, especially Halloween cookies, are often more about decorating tricks than actual flavor anyway.
I got the idea for these spider chocolate chip cookies on Pinterest, from a blog called Hungry Happenings, and the minute I saw them I knew they would be my choice for this Creative Cookie Exchange. Now when you go check out her version, try not to be too underwhelmed by mine! Her spiders look awesome! But we all know I have terrible hands… and I do think mine look like creepy crawlies, which at the end of the day is all that really matters.
Aside from finding these cookies hilarious and just creepy enough, I was also attracted to the fact that they used nothing more than additional (albeit melted and piped) chocolate chips for their decorations. I have a hang-up about odd plastic-y decorations made of sugar and using various candies to decorate. It is not a health thing so much as 9 times out of 10 the decorations do not really match the flavor of the cupcake or cookie, and that drives me crazy. Like I say, weird hang-up.
Amusingly, for the first few cookies we tried using Rolos for the spider bodies. And if you are going for what it looks like after you have stepped on a big, fat, juicy spider those are perfect.
Yeah I stuck to the milk chocolate couverture discs I had hanging around.
- 2 cups (8 1/2 oz) AP flour
- 2 cups (8 1/2 oz) white whole wheat flour
- 1¼ t baking soda
- 1½ t baking powder
- 1½ t coarse salt
- 2½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups (10 oz) light brown sugar
- 18 T (1 cup plus 2 T; 8 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 T natural vanilla extract
- 16 oz (3 scant cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus 1 cup more for melting
- 1 cup chocolate coverture wafers or larger chocolate chips (milk or dark chocolate)
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, optional
-
Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
-
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. With speed on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Mix in the 16 oz chocolate chips. Cover the dough with something airtight and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
-
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
-
Using a cookie dough scoop or an ice cream scoop of medium size, scoop the cookies onto the prepared tray, 6 per sheet. I was aiming for 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
-
Press 3-4 (depending on size) couverture wafers or larger chips into cookie dough ball. Try to separate them as much as possible so you will have room for your spider legs.
-
Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt if desired and bake until golden brown but still a little soft, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack.
-
Melt the remaining cup of chocolate chip until stirred smooth (I prefer 30 second increments in the microwave at 50% power). Let cool for a moment or 2.
-
Trim the tiniest corner off of a plastic bag and insert a tiny circular decorating tip. Scrape the melted chocolate into the plastic bag.
-
Carefully squeeze the chocolate out the decorating tip to draw lines onto the spider bodies. We went with 6 legs even though it was inaccurate to save space!
-
Let the cookies cool completely either on the cookie sheets or on a cooling rack. Be certain the chocolate legs have hardened and set before layering the cookies in an airtight container.
The theme this month is Halloween! Spooky, silly, creepy, we’ve got it all! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact me at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and I will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.
You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes–be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:
- Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Spiced Life
- Pumpkin Chip Bars from What Smells So Good?
- Headless Gingerbread Men from Noshing with the Nolands
- Swirly Halloween Cookies from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- The Witch’s Cauldron Cookies from Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt
- Spider Peanut Butter Cookies from Sweet Cinnamon & Honey
- Witch Finger Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pumpkin Macarons from A Baker’s House
- French Butter Cookie (Bones) from Made with Love
- Pumpkin Cookie Bars from Food Lust People Love
- Spooky Almond Cookies from Basic N Delicious
For the collage lovers:
Ha! These are adorable. Not sure that’s the right word for a spider infested cookie…but they just are.
So cute! I am tempted to make them with Rolos anyway– I love Rolos and have to say that the flattened-squished spider look is ok with me too. What fun!
Laura, those are adorable and look delicious!! What a lot of work!
My daughter is a true arachnophobic so I don’t think you will get her eating one of these but I would be all over them. Perfect for Halloween!!
These are so cute, and such a great idea. Super simple, but a perfect little twist for Halloween fun! 🙂
What fun looking cookies, I bet they taste great also.
Now that’s a kind of spider I’m happy to have on my table! Happy Halloween!
Ha!! spidery cookies that are yummy! I would keep a batch on my table this Halloween.
You sell yourself short, Laura! I think yours are every bit as good as the originals. I’ve never seen the chocolate wafers here but I am thinking maybe I can use chocolate chips and just push them in point side down.
Definitely–the original recipe used the Ghiradelli bittersweet because they are oversized. All of my chocolate chips are either less expensive for school functions or Guittard, which is why I went with the wafers. And thank you re my spiders! I may have only taken pictures of the ones that came out best lol…
These are very cute even though I hate spiders! I may make them for the DGKs for Halloween. Thanks for sharing this.
Vicky
So adorable, and yummy delicious chocolate.
Had you put the rolos in, I would be totally smitten (my favorite candy from the past), but I still like the creativity in these and chocolate chips are always a winner.
This is such a great idea! So cute and they look pretty easy to make!
Your cookies turned out great. Thanks for sharing a link to my site. I appreciate it! Happy Halloween.
Thanks for the super easy idea! I am all thumbs, so I often dread these kinds of cookies!
These cookies are adorable! I think you’ve done the perfect amount of creepy for the cookie! 😀
Okay, these are the cutest little cookies I’ve ever seen. And i am toootally NOT underwhelmed by your version. It’s right up my alley (and skill level haha) I think I need to make these with my daughter before Halloween!