Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies – Creepy Halloween Dessert

This Halloween bake up a batch of these gruesome Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies for your party guests. Each large cookie is loaded with chocolate chips. Some even look like spiders with chocolate legs.

Recipe originally published on September 26, 2013.

Spiders have infested my chocolate chip cookies. Gross, right?

Why would I do this to a perfectly innocent, thick and chewy cookie?

Well, the other day I came across a picture of a cookie that had images of spiders superimposed on it. It really looked like the spiders were in the cookie. It was just a bit of Photoshop magic, but I knew baking up a batch of chocolate chip arachnids would be as easy as waving a wizard’s wand.

I figured if I was going to infest any cookies with spiders, I would use my absolute favorite recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. It makes the biggest, thickest, chewiest cookies bursting with caramel and chocolate flavors.

My husband would love for me to make these every week and he was so happy to smell the fresh baked cookies when he got home from work.

He asked if he could have one. He always asks first. He knows better than to eat something before a photo shoot. I gave him permission and waited to see his reaction. He lifted the tin foil off the plate of cookies. He jumped a little.

Of course, he tried to be cool about it and jumped even further just for effect, laughing as he imitated my reaction to being surprised by a spider.

Yes, I scream, every time.

A few years ago, surrounded by big furry stuffed spiders, a group of party guests were playing a game in our basement. Someone mentioned how lifelike our Halloween decorations had become. I turned to look at what he was pointing to and a live spider was dangling from a web right behind me. I let out a blood-curdling scream.

Hilarious?

It was to everyone in the room. I stood, red-faced, heart racing, palms sweating, as everyone watched. After all the years of having the creepiest Halloween decor on the block, I still haven’t been able to concur my fear of the 8 legged creatures lurking in my basement.

Thankfully my phobia hasn’t kept me from eating these cookies.

Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies

(recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, makes 18)

5 from 1 vote

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Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies - Creepy Halloween Dessert

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies infested with chocolate spiders

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gross halloween food, halloween cookies, halloween desserts, spider cookies

Servings: 18

Author: Beth Jackson Klosterboer

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/8 cup all purpose flour unbleached is best
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips divided
• 2 ounces for spiders, 10 ounces for in and on top of the cookies

Supplies:

• electric mixer
• baking sheets lined with parchment paper
• optional: #16 ice cream scoop
• squeezeit mold painter bottles or a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt butter in a mixing bowl. Allow it to cool slightly.
3. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about a minute until well blended.
4. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
5. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together then incorporate it into the wet ingredients.
6. Fold about 9 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of chips into the batter.
7. Scoop out 18 cookies, about 1/4 cup of dough for each.
8. Place some of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
9. Remember to keep about 2 ounces (1/3 cup) of the chips for the spiders.
10. Bake cookies one tray at a time, for 14-18 minutes.
11. Allow cookies to cool completely.
12. Place the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl.
13. Heat for 20 seconds, stir, then for 15 seconds, stir.
14. Allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then stir again.
15. If you need to, heat it for 10 more seconds, then repeat until melted.
16. Pour into a squeeze-it mold painter bottle fitted with a #2 round pastry tip, or a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag with the tip snipped off.
17. Pipe on spider heads and legs around some of the larger chocolate chips.
18. Allow to dry.
19. Serve with a glass of milk.

How to make Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies

Supplies:

electric mixer
baking sheets lined with parchment paper
optional: #16 ice cream scoop
squeeze-it mold painter bottles, or a disposable pastry bag or zip-top bag

Instructions:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Melt butter in a mixing bowl.
• Allow it to cool slightly.
• Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about a minute until well blended.
• Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.

• Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together then incorporate it into the wet ingredients.
• If using a hand-held mixer, it probably won’t be strong enough to mix this completely, so switch over to a spoon or spatula.
• Fold about 9 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of chips into the batter.

• Scoop out 18 cookies, about 1/4 cup of dough for each.
  • I used a #16 ice cream scoop.
• Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with plenty of room to spread.
• Place some of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie just to be sure you have chips with which you can make your spiders.
  • Remember to keep about 2 ounces (1/3 cup) of the chips for the spiders.
• Bake cookies one tray at a time, for 14-18 minutes.
• The cookies should begin to set around the edges, be light golden brown, yet still be soft in the center.

• Allow your cookies to cool completely.
• Place the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl.
• Heat for 20 seconds, stir, then for 15 seconds, stir.
• Allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then stir again.
  • If you need to, heat it for 10 more seconds, then repeat until melted.
  • Pour into a squeeze-it mold painter bottle fitted with a #2 round pastry tip, or a disposable pastry bag or zip-top bag with the tip snipped off.
• Pipe on spider heads and legs around some of the larger chocolate chips.
• Allow to dry.

Serve with a glass of milk.

Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

These can be frozen for up to a few months but should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight, before being exposed to room temperature air.

Spider Infested Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you prefer oatmeal raisin cookies over chocolate chip cookies, check out my tutorial to add raisin spiders to your cookies.

Be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.

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