Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter & Pretzel Spiders

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter & Pretzel Spiders
by Sarah Kwan

makes 12 creepy crawlies

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon icing sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
5/8 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Classic style pretzels (48 plus more for casualties)
12 ounces chocolate (dark or milk; whatever your preference may be)
Silver sugar balls


Combine icing sugar, butter, peanut butter and vanilla. Form into 12 balls and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Cut the curvy parts of the pretzels (these will become the spider legs) with a sharp knife. This works best if you cut both of the joints at once and keep your board clear of crunchy crumbs.

Stick eight legs into each peanut butter ball and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler.

Using two large spoons, coat the spiders. Scoop up some chocolate with one spoon and place a spider on top to coat the bottom. Then, working quickly, spoon chocolate with the other spoon over the legs and body of the spider. (Note: I found it best to take one spider out of the freezer to coat at a time, since the peanut butter ball needs to be very firm to prevent the legs from drooping while they are being coated with chocolate.) Place on a second foil-lined baking sheet and add four sugar balls for eyes.

When all of the spiders are coated, put them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to firm up.

Happy Halloween!