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.
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These chocolate cookies have mini marshmallows in the batter and melted ones 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.
They can also add eyeballs, candies, or sprinkles, create faces, and add another layer of holiday color.
Ingredients
- 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).
- Mini marshmallows: if you use large ones, you'll have to cut them into pieces. These are optional, and remember that they add a lot of sweetness. You can omit them and get the marshmallow sweetness from the spider web.
- Unsalted butter.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Salt: I like to use kosher 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.
- Marshmallows are mixed into the batter and then used to create the spider web. You can omit them from the batter as they can add a lot of sweetness. And only use them for the outer decoration.
Make the chocolate cookie dough by beating sugar with butter and adding the eggs. Add chocolate chips and mini marshmallows (they add a lot of sweetness, and you can omit them).
Ensure the add-ins are distributed throughout the dough, so every cookie has some.
Make cookie dough balls and place them on parchment paper separated by an inch or two.
The cookies will spread and crackle, a sign they're done.
Make the spider webs
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 temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very 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.
Related recipes you might like:
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Spider Web Chocolate Cookies
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.
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 24 oz mini marshmallows, divided (see Notes below for a less sweet cookies)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 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 and 12 oz of marshmallows.
- 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 remaining 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.
Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very 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 in the batter: add a lot of sweetness so you can omit them. You'll only need 12oz for the webs.
- Melted 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.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spider web cookies
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