Halloween Recipe: Candy-Coated Marshmallow Spiders

Directions

1. Have your marshmallow tray nearby. Combine the powdered sugar and corn starch in a small bowl. Dust some of this mixture over the marshmallow slab and use your fingers to spread it into a thin, even layer.
2. Use a round cookie cutter to punch out marshmallow circles, dipping the cutter in warm water whenever it gets sticky. After cutting each circle, turn it over so the sugared side faces down. Press 2 to 3 candy eyeballs onto the top of each round, positioning them close to the bottom edge.
3. Pour the grape Nerd candies into a small, shallow dish. Cover the top and sides of each marshmallow by pressing the sticky surfaces into the dish and sprinkling extra candies on top as needed.
4. Transfer each finished marshmallow to a serving plate. Since the spider legs are quite delicate, it's best to keep the spiders in place once you start adding the legs.
5. Slice each licorice rope into three equal segments. Then cut each segment lengthwise to create four thin strips. Make a shallow score mark about one-third of the way down each strip, being careful not to cut through. Bend the strip at the score and insert the bent end into the marshmallow near the top, placing four legs on each side. The legs should curve upward with the tips resting on the tray. If the licorice is hard to push in, use a skewer to help.
6. Some of the candy coating may have come off while you worked on the legs. After all legs are attached, touch up any bare spots with additional Nerds.
7. These marshmallow spiders can be made several hours ahead of time. However, because the legs are very fragile, try not to move any individual spider until you're ready to serve.