When you're ready to start baking Halloween treats, these chocolate cookies with a marshmallow spider web should be part of your list. They're delicious and quite easy to put together. Kids love them, of course.
These chocolate cookies have melted marshmallows on the outside, creating a web.
By themselves, they're great sweet cookies. The white spider web makes them amazing for Halloween.
It's a fun project with kids where they'll get their hands messy, and you'll hear non-stop laughing. Similar to what happens when they make Halloween bark.
They can also add eyeballs, candies, or sprinkles, create faces, and add another layer of holiday color.
Ingredient list
- All-purpose flour.
- Granulated, white sugar.
- Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips and Nestle Toll house semisweet chips.
- Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened. I like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, and Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade Oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).
- Marshmallows: white ones are the norm, but you can use colored marshmallows for a more whimsical cookie.
- Unsalted butter.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Salt: I like using kosher salt or fine sea salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Baking soda: make sure it's not expired.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
- Eyeballs, candies, or sprinkles: optional for decoration.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
- Chocolate cookie dough: it's a simple mixture made with cocoa powder. It can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated.
- Marshmallows: you can mix them into the batter besides using them to create the spider web. You can omit them from the batter as they add a lot of sweetness. And only use them for the outer decoration.
Place the dough balls separated by an inch or two. The cookies will spread and crackle, a sign they're done.
Make the marshmallow spider web
Take some melted marshmallow mixture and open it with your hand to create strands that will be placed over the cookie.
Don't overdo it; have enough chocolate cookie dough to contrast with the white spider web design.
Marshmallow mixture: if it hardens while using it, melt it again (in the microwave is the easiest way).
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Marshmallows: the simplest way to melt them is to use the microwave, 15-20 second spurts, mixing well in between until melted. If the mixture hardens while making the webs, melt them again.
- Not-so-sweet cookies: the mini marshmallows add sweetness to the dough. And though kids usually love them, you can omit them and make plain semisweet chocolate cookies with the marshmallow web on the outside.
- Storing: they remain somewhat sticky, so store in a single layer in a tin or airtight container. Use wax paper to separate layers if you need to make more than one.
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Spider Web Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 oz marshmallows
- Eyeballs candies, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter or use baking spray to grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
For the chocolate cookies:
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and vanilla extract until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly integrated. Don't beat at this point so the dough remains tender.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop portions of cookie dough and roll them into balls.
- Place on the prepared cookie sheet, an inch and a half or two apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until they puff and crackle. The tops will be dried.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the spider web:
- Melt the marshmallows in a bowl and mix with a fork until smooth.
- You can use gloves for this part or get your hands messy.
- Take some melted marshmallow mixture and use your fingers to pull it apart and create strings. Place over the cookies, creating a web and pinching the edges.
- Let dry on a wire rack.
- You can add eyeball candies.
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