Halloween Creepy Crawler Spiders

For the spider body:
Separate out the chocolate chips from the orange candy morsels. In a medium size microwavable bowl, add just the orange candy morsels, 2 tablespoons of half-and-half, and stir. Heat in the microwave for 60 seconds and then stir until the candy is completely melted. If needed, heat in the microwave for another 15 seconds and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or longer, until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls. If after being in the refrigerator the mixture is too firm to roll, add a smidgen more half-and-half, heat again in the microwave, stir together, and let cool again in the refrigerator.

Next, do the same with the chocolate chips. In a medium size microwavable bowl, add the chocolate chips and remaining half-and-half. Stir together. Warm in the microwave for 60 seconds and stir together. Warm in the microwave for another 30 seconds and stir until the mixture is completely smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator at least 2 hours to harden. If after being in the refrigerator, it’s too firm to roll, add a smidgen more half-and-half, warm in the microwave, stir and let cool again in the refrigerator.

For the spider assembly:
Cut the black string candy into about 3-inch long pieces for the spider legs. You’ll need 6 pieces per spider. It’s okay if they are a bit crooked. It actually appears to make the spider look like it’s in motion if the legs aren’t exactly the same. Set aside.

Use a small spoon to scoop out the chocolate and roll it into a ball about the size of a large gumball. Poke the spider legs into the top 2 sides of each chocolate ball (3 legs on each side). Add 2 eyeballs to each spider and top the spider head with chocolate malted milk powder. Next, repeat the process for the orange candy. It’s best to first finish either the chocolate spiders or the orange spiders so the ball of chocolate (or orange candy) is still soft enough to poke in the legs and stick to the back of the candy eyeballs. These can be stored for a short while in the refrigerator but they should be set out before serving to soften them up slightly.

Just before serving, lay out cotton candy to form a “spider web” on a serving plate or in clear glasses such as martini glasses, and top with the creepy crawler chocolate spiders. Cotton candy doesn’t last very long when sitting outside of its packaging, so laying out the spider web garnish should be the last thing done before serving.

Recipe also found on SheKnows Food and Recipes (Chocolate Truffle Spiders).