Rainy day activity: make your own chocolate spiders

Christina Webb

Lonely Planet Writer

24 April 2017

Prepare to get messy! Inspired by our book Backyard Explorer, we're looking at the world around us and all the interesting things you can find in your own neighbourhood. Join in by making your own edible chocolate spiders! They're not so scary anymore...

Follow the simple step-by-step recipe below or print off our activity sheet. Don't forget to ask for an adult's help when using the cooker.

You will need:

3 packets (150g each) chocolate cookies (we used Oreos)
250g cream cheese
200g dark chocolate
1 packet chocolate-covered pretzel sticks or similar
Tubes of coloured icing to pipe
Chocolate sprinkles
Clear resealable food bag
Rolling pin
Wooden spoon
Large bowl
Baking tray
Baking paper

Step one

With the help of an adult, gather your ingredients and kitchen appliances.

Step two

Make crumbs out of your chocolate cookies. Take them out of their packet and put them into a clean re-sealable food bag, leaving a small gap for air – you might have to do this in batches. Use your rolling pin to bash the cookies until they are crumbs.

Step three

Put your cookie crumbs in a bowl and mix them with the cream cheese with a spoon until they are well blended.

Step four

Use your hands to shape your mixture into roughly 16 of tablespoon-sized balls and place in a paper-lined baking tray. This will act as the spider’s body!

Step five

Place the tray of cookie balls in the freezer for ten minutes or in a fridge overnight.

Step six

Ask an adult to help you melt the chocolate by placing it in a bowl over a saucepan of water on the hob on low heat, or by heating on high in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stirring for 30 seconds until completely melted.

Step seven

Let the melted chocolate cool for a bit. Then take your cookie balls out of the freezer or fridge and dip them in the melted chocolate until totally covered.

Step eight

Break the pretzel sticks into thirds or quarters and secure them to your spider’s body by gently pushing each of them into the sides of the cookie balls. Put the cookie balls back onto the paper-lined baking tray in the fridge for one hour or until firm.

Step nine

Remove your chocolate spiders from the fridge and give them eyes by making two small circles with your decorative piped icing and then fixing a chocolate sprinkle onto the middle of the blob.