Recipe: Chocolate Spiders and Webs (using chocolate chips)

CHOCOLATE SPIDERS AND WEBS

1 (6 oz) pkg semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
Spider web pattern (follows)

In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, stir the chocolate until melted; remove from heat. Let stand over water until chocolate is cool but still fluid, about 10 minutes. Or melt chocolate in microwave.

Lay pattern on a 12x15-inch baking sheet and cover with waxed paper. Put chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch diameter tip or a paper cone; fold top edge down to seal. Squeeze chocolate out of pastry bag onto waxed paper, tracing spider or web designs that show through from the pattern underneath. If chocolate is too runny to hold lines, let cool a little more. As pan is filled, transfer pattern to another 12x15-inch, cover with waxed paper and continue. Chill spiders or webs on pan until firm, about 10 minutes.

Gently peel paper away from chocolate. Spiders and webs are delicate and melt fast, so handle gently and quickly. If made ahead, arrange in single layers, separated by waxed paper; store airtight in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Serve as candy or to top desserts.

SPIDER AND WEB PATTERNS:
On a 12x15-inch sheet of light-colored paper, boldly draw at least 1 pattern for spider and web. You can either repeat the pattern as you pipe the chocolate onto the waxed paper, or you can draw a pattern that includes designs for multiple items.

Start with spider legs: draw a half circle that is 1 1/2-inches across. Inside and about 1/4-inch parallel to it, draw another half circle. Back to back to the big half circle, repeat the 2 curved lines; you now have 8 legs. Where the lines curve together, draw a small circle to intersect all 4 lines to make the body. Draw a small circle for the head on top the first circle.

For the web, draw a 4-inch long cross. Draw diagonal lines to bisect the quadrants. Connect these spokes with concentric loops.

Makes about 2 dozen spiders or 1 dozen webs
Adapted from source: Pat Stockett, 1994