Makes 24
A creepy, crawly treat perfect for Halloween! These Medjool date “spiders” are stuffed with peanut butter, coated in chocolate and adorned with salty pretzel legs. These will be fun for your little ones, but adults will enjoy them too.
Ingredients:
- 24 Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates
- 1 cup creamy peanut or almond butter
- 10 ounces dark chocolate chips
- Chocolate Sprinkles, for sprinkling
- 48 candy eyes
- 2 cups pretzel pieces
You will need:
Pastry bag fitted with medium piping tip
Parchment paper
Discard any remaining stems on your dates. Using small pliers, remove the pits through the top of each date. (Check out the Rancho Meladuco Instagram page for a quick video tutorial on how to do this.) Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Scrape the peanut butter into a piping bag fitted with a medium piping tip and cut off the tip of the piping bag. NOTE: If your peanut butter is really thick, try microwaving for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave first to soften.
Pipe a small amount of peanut butter into each date, stopping when it starts to ooze out of the top of your date. Be careful not to overfill.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, add 1 cup of the dark chocolate chips. Microwave on HIGH in 30 second bursts until the chocolate begins to melt. Stir until smooth. Return to the microwave, if needed.
Using two forks, dip a peanut butter-filled date into the warm dark chocolate. Turn gently so that it is coated completely. Remove the date, letting the excess chocolate dip back into the bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
While the chocolate is still warm, press two eyes and 6 broken pretzel pieces into the date like legs. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Repeat with the remaining dates.
Let harden at room temperature before serving.
MAKE AHEAD The chocolate spiders can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator, but NOT add the candy eyes until ready to serve (the condensation will make the dye bleed). Before serving, secure candy eyes with edible adhesive or a dab of melted chocolate. Let set before serving.
Recipe and photos by Julia Heffelfinger