Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Cooks notes: the peanut butter can easily be replaced for almond butter here. Slightly undercooking the cookies here allows for a really fudgy centre but crisp outside so don’t be alarmed if they’re a little soft coming out of the oven.

Equipment: baking trays, stand along mixer

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°f/gas mark 4 and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.

Beat 100g of the granulated sugar with the light brown sugar and butters together in a stand alone mixer until smooth and softened. Add the egg along with the flour and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together.

Divide the mix into 20 pieces and shape into balls, roll in the remaining 50g granulated sugar, placing on the trays as you go, leaving space in between each to allow for a little expansion. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden, but still a little soft to touch.

Remove from the oven and immediately press two maltesers into the centre of each cookie, pressing down a little toindent the middle, allow to cool on the tray for about 10-15 minutes and then place on a rack to cool completely.

Melt the milk chocolate and white chocolate in two separate bowls over a bain marie or in 30 second blasts in a microwave, once melted, allow to cool for 5 minutes or until they have thickened a little. Place the chocolates into two seperate, small piping bags, firstly pipe ‘eyes’ onto one of each malteser on each cookie. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes to harden. Remove and pipe ‘eyeballs’ onto the whites followed by 6 ‘legs’ onto each cookie to create a spider. Refrigerate for another 5 minutes to harden or leave to harden on the cooling rack.