Ingredients (for 10 pieces)

In advance:

• The milk should be lukewarm, all other ingredients must be at room temperature!
  
  
• 280 ml lukewarm milk
• 15 g yeast 
• 50 g butter 
• 1 egg (size M)
• 80 g sugar
• 500 g wheat flour type 550
• 40 g baking cocoa
• ½-1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 10 pralines (chocolate truffles)

For the crosses:

• 75 g wheat flour type 550
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 75 ml cold water

For the glaze:

• 5 tbsp sugar beet syrup

For the decoration:

• 20 chocolate drops
• 50 g marzipan paste
• 40 chocolate sticks

Pour the milk into the mixing bowl of the food processor. Crumble the yeast over it, leave to stand briefly and dissolve in the milk.

Add the butter and egg.

Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and add to the mixing bowl. Knead into a smooth, soft dough using the dough hook.

Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for approx. 1 hour until doubled in volume.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Shape 10 small balls of 20 g each for the heads. Divide the remaining dough into 10 equal pieces and roll into round balls. Cover and leave to relax for approx. 10 minutes. Roll out the large pieces of dough with a rolling pin. Place a praline in the middle of each and gather the edges of the dough together to form a small bag and press together well. Place on greased baking trays with the seam facing downwards. Place one head very close to the body. Leave 2-3 cm space between the spiders. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 30 minutes.

During this time, heat the Merklinger to 220-250°C and mix the paste for the crosses.

To make the thick paste, mix the flour, powdered sugar and water in a small bowl with a whisk. Pour into a piping bag with a fine round nozzle and pipe crosses onto the "spider bodies". (If you don't have a piping bag to hand, you can also use a freezer bag and cut a small opening in one corner).

Place the trays on the spacer rack in the Merklinger oven at 220-250°C and bake the Halloween spiders for approx. 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the syrup to the boil in a small pan. Remove the trays from the Merklinger and brush the spiders with it while they are still hot.

Leave to cool slightly. Cut the chocolate sticks in half with a knife and carefully "twist" them into the bodies as legs. Roll 20 small balls from the marzipan paste, flatten slightly and press 1 chocolate droplet into each. Lightly press the spider eyes onto the head.