Go Back

Spiderweb Cookies

Perfect for passing out to trick or treaters, these spiderweb cookies are the perfect simple spooky season bake! Rich dark chocolate and espresso cookies are dipped in a sweet vanilla glaze, and stamped with an intricate spiderweb design.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Espresso Cookies
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon espresso powder
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • a pinch of salt

Equipment

  • Spiderweb cookie cutter and stamp

Method
 

Make the cookie dough
  1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa power, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and espresso powder together on medium high speed until creamed and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and creamy.
  3. Lay a large piece of cling wrap out on the counter and put the dough in a clump on top. Press the dough into a disk, about ½ inch thick. Fold the edges of the cling wrap over to cover the flattened dough. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Shape
  1. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  2. Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place it on a floured work surface. Roll it out a little more so its around ⅓ inch thickness. Using a spiderweb cookie cutter, cut the rolled out dough into cookies. Re-roll and cut the remaining scraps until you have used up all of the dough. To stamp, dip your spiderweb cookie stamp in flour and press it onto the surface of your cut out cookies. You may have to rinse off and re-flour the stamp a couple times as you go.
  3. Once all the cookies have been shaped and stamped, place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the previously prepared baking sheets. You may need a third sheet depending on the size of your cookie cutter (mine was about three inches and needed a third sheet.)
  4. Chill the shaped cookies on the trays for 1 hour.
Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Once preheated, bake the shaped cookies for 11-13 minutes or until the tops and sides look set. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, add the icing
  1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt until smooth. The glaze will be thin.
  2. Dip the stamped side of the cooled cookies into the glaze, and place back on the wire cooling rack to let the excess glaze drip off. Repeat with all of the cookies.
  3. After a couple of hours the glaze will harden up and will no longer be sticky. Enjoy! Cookies keep for up to 5 days sealed in an airtight container.