By Camila Angeles

Halloween is coming soon, and what better way to celebrate than with these fun, tasty, spooky treats? These Halloween-Inspired Peanut Butter Cookies are perfect for giving away to trick-or-treaters, or for just having a quick snack. Thanks to www.foodnetwork.com, we are able to make this delicious treat!

Ingredients:

• One 5-ounce box small ball-shaped chocolates (malted milk balls)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of fine salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 small tube white cake decorating gel

Directions:

• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Separate the chocolate candy balls into larger and smaller balls. The larger balls will make up the spider bodies and the smaller balls the heads.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
• Cream the sugar and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and egg and mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter and mix until creamy, for about 1 minute. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add half of the flour mixture.
• Beat on medium until incorporated, then turn the speed down to low again and add the rest of the flour mixture. Beat on medium until incorporated.
• Roll the dough by hand into 1-inch balls, place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are light golden brown and have spread to about 2 inches wide, about 16 minutes.
• The cookies are done when they smell very peanut buttery and the tops feel dry and slightly firm when pressed with fingers.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly so that it is slightly thickened but still pipe-able.
• When the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Immediately push the 2 chocolate candies directly into each hot cookie, putting a smaller chocolate ball toward the edge of the cookie and a larger chocolate ball directly behind it in the center of the cookie.
• When the melted chocolate has thickened slightly, put it into a plastic bag and cut a small hole in the corner to create a piping bag. Pipe 8 legs on each cookie, starting from the point where the 2 chocolate candies meet. Pipe the front 4 legs so that they curve up toward the head and the back 4 legs so that they curve backward beyond the body. Reserve the remaining chocolate in the piping bag for the pupils of the eyes.
• To make eyes, pipe two 1/4-inch circles on the “heads” of each spider with the cake decorating gel. Pipe a tiny dot of the reserved melted chocolate in the center of each to make the pupils.

So, enjoy these delicious cookies at home. Happy Halloween!