Creepy Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Ingredients:

• 150g of small spherical chocolate-coated candies, such as chocolate-covered malted milk balls
• 0.75 cups premium wheat flour
• 0.25 tsp of soda
• A pinch of fine salt
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp (60 g) butter at room temperature
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 0.5 cups homogeneous peanut butter
• 55 g dark chocolate
• 1 small tube of white cake icing gel

Preparation:

1. Position oven racks in the lower and upper thirds and preheat the oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Divide the chocolates into larger and smaller balls. The larger ones will be used for the spiders' bodies, and the smaller ones will be the heads.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in another bowl with a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and mix thoroughly.
   
   Add the peanut butter and mix again. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture. Beat on medium speed until combined, then reduce the speed back to low and add the remaining flour mixture. Beat on medium speed until combined.
4. Roll the dough into 2.5 cm (1-inch) balls with your hands, place them 2 cm (0.8 in) apart on the prepared baking sheets, and bake until the cookies are deep golden brown and spread into 5 cm (2-inch) rounds, about 16 minutes. The cookies are ready when they feel firm and dry when pressed on top.
5. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool slightly until the chocolate thickens slightly, but is still suitable for drawing.
6. When the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool. Immediately press 2 chocolate candies onto the hot cookies, placing the smaller ball at the edge of the cookie and the larger candy right in the center.
7. When the melted chocolate has thickened slightly, place it in a plastic bag and snip off a corner to create a very small hole, like a piping tip. Draw 8 legs on each cookie. Draw the front four legs so they curve toward the head, and the back four legs curve in the opposite direction. Leave some chocolate in the bag for the pupils of the eyes.
   
   To make the eyes, squeeze two 0.5 cm circles out of white gel on the head of each spider. Draw small dots with the remaining chocolate to represent the pupils.
   
   Recipe popcorn balls with a spider.