Peanut Butter Lindt Spider Cookies
*3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
*1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
*1/3 cup Brown Sugar
*1 Egg, room temperature
*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
*3/4 cup All-purpose Flour
*1/2 cup White Wheat Pastry Flour, adds a nutty flavor
*3/4 Baking Powder
*1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
*1 teaspoon Sea Salt
*2 packages (5.1 ounce each) Lindt Linder Round Extra Dark Chocolate Truffles (24 total) for decorating
*3/4 cup Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers, melted in 30 second increments in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl until melted stirring between each increment, for spider legs
*48 Candy Eyes, medium size like Wilton, for decorating 2 per cookie
Preheat oven 350*F.
In a stand mixer on medium speed cream together the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla mix until combined.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture in thirds until incorporated. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
Scoop or roll in your hand 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of cookie dough forming a ball, making about 24 cookie balls. Bake 12 cookie dough balls per Silpat or parchment covered half baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
After removing from the oven, I used a round teaspoon and pressed it in the center of the baked cookie, making a round indentation.
While allowing the cookies to cool, melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave as explained above and place a small amount of chocolate in the cooled cookie and add a Lindt Truffle. Then add two small dots of chocolate using a large tooth pick and place 2 dots of chocolate where desired for the eyes and then add the eyes. I used tweezers to attach the eyes to the truffle.
Using a pastry bag with small tip or pastry bottle add the melted wafers and pipe on 8 spider legs or as desired.
Recipe adapted from A Spicy Perspective
Enjoy!
Lindy
