Recipe of the month

I have had a lot of people ask me for recipes lately. So I have decided that since I have access to hundreds of recipes I will start a "recipe of the month" post.

This month I thought I would do something halloweeny and fun. I made these for the girls at Avalon over the weekend and they loved them. They would be a blast to make with kids.

ENJOY!!

Tarantula Cookies

Yield: 25 tarantulas

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 back thin, short pretzel sticks

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Chocolate sprinkles

small red hot candies

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. 3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.

5. Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Press the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.

6. Bake until cookies start to brown around edges, about 7-10 minutes.

7. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of aluminium foil or waxed paper.

8. In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil.

9. Pour the melted chocolate over each cookie. Coat with chocolate sprinkles. Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head. Eeek!