Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.5 cups vegetable shortening
• 0.5 cups peanut butter
• 0.5 cups packed brown sugar
• 0.5 cups white sugar
• 1 large egg , beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.25 cups white sugar for rolling
• 24 chocolates truffles , such as Lindt Lindor®
• 48 decoratives candy eyeballs
• 0.5 cups prepared chocolate frosting

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup white sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat egg into the creamy mixture until fully incorporated. Stir milk and vanilla extract into the mixture until smooth.

3. 3

   Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl; add to peanut butter mixture in the large bowl and stir until completely incorporated into a dough. Divide and shape dough into 48 balls.

4. 4

   Spread 1/4 cup white sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in sugar to coat and arrange about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.

5. 5

   Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and quickly press a dimple into the center of each cookie using the blunt end of a wooden spoon. Cool cookies on sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

6. 6

   Cut each chocolate truffle in half. Put one piece atop each cookie with the rounded side facing upwards.

7. 7

   Spoon frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, or use a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Dab a small amount of frosting onto the back of each candy eyeball and stick two onto each chocolate candy to resemble eyes. Then pipe frosting in four thin lines, starting at the base of the candy, on each side atop the cookie to resemble spider legs.

8. 8

   Let frosting harden at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container.