LAND SPIDER RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine all cheese ball ingredients in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons cheese mixture for legs.
• Shape 1/2 cup cheese mixture into ball for spider head. Shape remaining mixture into round spider body. Place poppy seed into large shallow dish. Roll cheese balls in poppy seed, pressing seeds onto balls to coat. Place onto large plate or platter to form spider. Place black olive and red pepper piece onto toothpick. Insert into spider’s head for eye. Repeat for other eye. Place red pepper piece for mouth. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, attach legs by breaking each pretzel rod in thirds. Insert 3 pieces into each side of body; use reserved cheese mixture to attach remaining pretzel piece to form bent legs.
• Serve with assorted crackers and vegetables.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, until creamy. Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon; beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
• Divide dough in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm.
• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 5-7 minutes or until points just begin to turn lightly brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to cooking rack.
• Place white chocolate in bowl. Microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, 1-2 minutes or until melted. Cool about 10 minutes to room temperature.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and powdered sugar in bowl. Beat at low speed until well mixed. Add cooled white chocolate. Continue beating until very creamy.
• Frost cookies. Make web design by placing dot of black decorator gel in center. Pipe orange gel circle around black dot and black gel circle around orange circle. Using toothpick, drag decorator gel from center of black dot toward each star point and indentations between points. Wipe off toothpick as necessary.
• Store in single layers in loosely covered container.