Peanut Butter & Jelly Filled Spiders
Submitted by aaron123
Halloween peanut butter and jelly bread spiders. Frozen bread dough shaped into spider bodies stuffed with PB and strawberry jam, then baked. Three ingredients, one creepy treat.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
100 minThese Halloween PB&J bread spiders are a kid-friendly project disguised as a creepy treat. Three ingredients, an hour of fun shaping, and an oven that turns plain frozen bread dough into eight little arachnids with peanut butter-and-jelly bellies. Equal parts food and craft.
The technique is simpler than it looks. Each spider needs two pieces of dough: one divided into four ropes for the legs, the other divided into a body (twice the size) and a head. Stuff the body with the PB and jam mixture, seal it tight, and place it centered on the leg ropes. Eight legs sprawling, head perched on top.
Using thawed frozen bread dough is the move that makes this realistic for a weeknight Halloween activity. No yeast bloom, no kneading, no waiting for autolyse. Just thaw, shape, and bake.
Seal the seam on the body well. If the PB-jam filling escapes during baking, you’ll get caramelized burned spots on the pan instead of perfectly stuffed centers. A pinch and roll, smooth side down, prevents leaks.
Let them rise the full hour before baking. Skipping the rise means dense, hockey-puck spiders. Trust the process.
Pro Tips
- Use a chunkier strawberry jam for visual interest when you bite in.
- Reduced-fat peanut butter mixes more easily with jam; natural PB separates.
- Brush spiders with milk or beaten egg before baking for a glossy finish.
- Use raisins or chocolate chips for spider eyes pressed into the head before baking.
- Best eaten warm; the filling oozes beautifully.
Variations
- Sub Nutella or chocolate-hazelnut spread for the peanut butter.
- Use almond butter and a thicker preserves filling for variety.
- Add a dust of black cocoa powder to dough for darker, scarier spiders.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare two baking sheets with cooking spray; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and jam; set aside.
Divide dough into sixteen equal pieces.
It takes two pieces of dough to make one spider.
To make spider, take one piece of dough, on a lightly floured surface, divide this piece into four equal pieces for spider’s legs.
Roll each of these pieces into thin ropes, each being eight inches long.
Lay each of these ropes, parallel and equal in length to each other, half inch apart onto prepared baking sheet.
For the spider’s body, divide a second piece of dough, one twice as large as the other.
On a floured surface, pat larger piece of dough with the palm of your hand to flatten.
Place two teaspoons peanut butter and jam mixture onto center of circle.
Bring ends of dough up together and seal seams.
Gently roll this piece of dough into a ball; set aside.
Roll smaller piece of dough in a round ball (this will be the spider’s head).
Place peanut butter filled body and head centered on top of the four ropes of dough.
The spider should now have eight legs.
FInish with remaining pieces of dough to make eight spiders.
Let rise until doubled in size, one hour.
Bake in a 375℉ (190℃) F oven for ten minutes, or until golden brown.
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