Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies

Directions

1. Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl using a whisk, then set this dry mixture aside.
2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the blend is light and airy, remembering to scrape the bowl walls occasionally.
3. Incorporate the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each egg, then pour in the reserved dry ingredients and stir until just blended.
4. Mix in the semisweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed, then cover the dough and chill it for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight. (Refer to Kelly's Notes for more details.)
5. Set the oven to 375°F and prepare two baking sheets by covering them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Measure roughly 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie using either two spoons or an ice cream scoop, placing the mounds on the sheets with a 2‑inch gap between them. Press 2 or 3 extra chocolate chips onto each cookie’s top to serve as the spider bodies.
7. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are firm but the centers remain a bit soft. Take the cookies out of the oven, let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool entirely.
8. When the cookies are fully cooled, melt the chocolate candy melts following the package directions. Pour the melted chocolate into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag, cut a small hole in the tip, and pipe spider legs extending from the chocolate chips on top of each cookie. To add eyes, dab two small chocolate dots above the chocolate chips and press a candy eye onto each dot. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.