Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 oz. Milk Chocolate Rosebuds or dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• approximately 24 Milk Chocolate Malt Balls, Dark Chocolate Malt Balls, Espresso Malt Balls and/or Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls 
• approximately 48 candy eyes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Place sugar and brown sugar in bowl and lightly mix
3. Add vegetable shortening and peanut butter, beat on medium until mixture is smooth.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beat until combined.
5. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the bowl, beat until well incorporated.
6. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
7. Roll out small balls of dough and place on baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.
8. Use your fingers to gently flatten the dough.
9. Bake for about 12 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and make soft indents in the middle of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon or similar instrument - indents should be large enough to hold the malt balls later. 
11. Return the tray to the oven and bake the cookies for another 6-8 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and let cool.

Decorating the Cookies:

1. Melt the Milk Chocolate Rosebuds in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds at a time, and place into a small piping bag.
2. Dot a small amount into the cavity of each cookie.
3. Place a malt ball into the cavity of each cookie.
4. Squeeze two tiny dots of melted chocolate onto each malt ball and attach the candy eyes and pipe eight legs onto each cookie.
5. Repeat for all the cookies
6. Allow the chocolate to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 Recipe & Photo adapted from eatlittlebird.com