Favourite Chocolate Spiders

Chocolate spiders are the easiest Halloween candy you will ever make and a classic kids’ kitchen project. Three ingredients (melted chocolate chips, peanuts, crispy chow mein noodles) get stirred together and dropped onto waxed paper. The chow mein noodles stick out at every angle, giving each cluster the crooked, leggy shape of a tiny chocolate-covered spider.

The technique is so simple a six-year-old can lead the project. Melt the chocolate chips gently in a double boiler so they stay smooth and glossy. Stir in salted peanuts (the salt is what cuts through the chocolate sweetness) and the crunchy noodles. Drop tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.

The chow mein noodles are the genius texture move. They look creepy poking out of the chocolate, taste lightly salty and crisp, and stay crunchy even after the chocolate hardens around them. Substitute crispy rice cereal or pretzel sticks if you cannot find them, but the spider-leg silhouette only really works with chow mein noodles.

Pro Tips

• Use a double boiler or microwave in 30-second bursts to melt the chocolate. Direct heat scorches chocolate chips into a grainy mess in seconds. Gentle, indirect heat keeps the chocolate glossy.
• Stir in the peanuts and noodles immediately after the chocolate is fully melted. Wait too long and the chocolate starts to set, making the mixture stiff and lumpy to drop.
• Use a small ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop the clusters. Two spoons work like Edward Scissorhands: scoop with one, push off with the other.
• Refrigerate to set, do not freeze. Frozen chocolate sometimes “blooms” and turns dull-gray when warmed back up. Refrigerator setting keeps the shine.

Variations

• Use butterscotch or peanut butter chips in place of chocolate for a different colored spider.
• Add a few candy eyes (the small candy decorations) on each cluster while the chocolate is still wet for actual spider faces.
• Sprinkle with orange and black sprinkles before the chocolate sets for a more festive Halloween-themed finish.