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Tarantula Cookies

Christine McConnell
Print Recipe
Servings 12 Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened plus more for pans
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for pans
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Homemade caramel or royal icing
  • 2 cups dark melting chocolate, melted
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted

Instructions
 

Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour two baking sheets. Cream together butter and sugar in stand mixer. Add vanilla, salt and flour and beat until dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.
  • Using clean hands, shape dough into bodies and legs. First divide dough into ten to twelve roughly equal parts. Use each part to create: an approximately 1/2 inch round ball, flattend oval with four indentations on each side, right legs approximately 1 to 2 inches long and bent into a "V" shape, and two small pincers. Arrange bodies on one baking sheet and legs on the other. Bake cookies for 7-15 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown.

Assembly & Presentation

  • Depending on your comfort level, you can either use caramel or royal icing to adhere legs to each body. If using caramel, work quickly to adhere legs by dipping joints in caramel and attaching to body. But be careful! The caramel is very hot and will set quickly.
  • If you’re feeling like you’d rather take it a little slower, use royal icing as glue and allow each leg to fully set before adhering the next.
  • Once spiders are formed, coat entirely with dark melting chocolate and pipe eyes and fangs. Finish by sprinkling toasted coconut over backs.