Spider Bites–Halloween Week

 

My whole life, I’ve pretty much been a girly girl.

Aside from one random, cruel stint of sprinkling salt on a slug (the closest I’ve ever come to one–I hate them), I steered clear of any bugs besides ladybugs, roly polies, and butterflies.

And… daddy long legs spiders.

I’m not sure where my little infatuation with daddy long legs spiders came from, but I’ve pretty much had it my whole life.

Maybe it was because my own spider-hating mother even said daddy long legs were “good” spiders. “They don’t bite,” she said, “and they catch other bugs in the house. They eat flies and mosquitoes for dinner so they don’t bug you.”

Plus, I was always weirdly fascinated by their teeny tiny bodies and gargantuan long legs. Hence the name, minus the ‘daddy’ part. I really don’t know why they’re called that, and it’s saying something that I love daddy long legs despite my hatred for the word ‘daddy’. It’s just a creepy word to say after you’re 5 years old, okay? Just say ‘dad’.

Anywho, so now, whenever I see daddy long legs, I say hello. In fact, one happened upon into our work bathroom and I named him Randy. Unfortunately, Randy was eaten by a larger daddy long legs whom I named Lil Jon. I get excited when we kill flies because my coworker will feed them to Lil Jon.

Yes, folks, I’m 21 years old and feeding dead flies to a spider named Lil Jon in my work bathroom. I’m surprised I even have a job, much less a coworker that supports my oddities and weird love affair with a spider.

Oh yeah, and in honor of Halloween Week with Dorothy plus my new buddy Lil Jon, I made you some Spider Bites. These little dudes are pretty easy to make and are totally adorable. They’d be fun to make with your little ones for Halloween!!

The bestest part (besides the Oreo cookie center and their cute faces)? Those black licorice strands are cherry flavored. Hallelujah! No black licorice business here.

Spider Bites

1 pkg Oreo cookies, finely crushed to a crumb
1/2 container chocolate icing
1 pkg black candy melts or chocolate candy bark*
1 pkg black licorice candy strands (I found them at Walmart, but I’ve spotted them at Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and Target, too)
Candy eyeballs
Red mini M&M’s

1. First, make your spider bodies. In a large bowl, combine the crushed cookie crumbs and the chocolate icing with a spoon or your hands until blended.
2. Roll the mixture into 1″ sized balls and freeze the balls about an hour or so, until solid. While they’re freezing, snip 1/2″ sized pieces of the black licorice for the legs.
3. Prepare the candy melts according to package directions. Dip the truffles into the melted candy and allow excess to drip off with a fork. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and immediately press the black licorice legs into the sides of the truffle (four legs per side). Garnish the truffles with eyes (I did half candy eyeballs, half red M&M’s).
4. Allow the truffles to set in the freezer for about 15 minutes before serving. These would be super cute to give to coworkers or classmates–just wrap in cellophane with some creepy spider rings or spooky eyeball gumballs.
**Note: For this, I used black candy melts; however, I had trouble with them melting properly even after numerous attempts. I’d recommend using chocolate bark (such as Candiquik) and tinting it with a black food coloring made for chocolate. It will make for a smoother finish than my version.**

I love these little guys! Even without having a mouth, their expression says it all.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for more Halloween Week goodness!

xo, Hayley

 

Tagged: halloween, treats, truffles