Deviled spider eggs

Photo by Dorothy Reinhold.

Deviled spider eggs are a Halloween treat originally conceived by Dorothy Reinhold of Shockingly Delicious.

To make these delicious October treats, you will need the following ingredients and supplies:

• Eggs
• Mayonnaise (2 tablespoons per 6 eggs)
• Mustard (2 tablespoons per 6 eggs)
• Paprika and fresh herb (optional)
• Pitted olives (black or Kalamata - children will likely prefer black olives)

Cooking instructions

To prepare hard boiled eggs, it is suggested to purchase your eggs a week in advance as they will be easier to peel once boiled.

1. Place eggs in medium-sized heavy pot, cover them with cold water (about 1 - 1½ inches above top of eggs) and a pinch of salt. Cover pot and bring water to a boil.
2. IMPORTANT: As soon as the water comes to a full boil, turn heat off but leave the pot lid on. Leave eggs to sit for 13 minutes.
3. After 13 minutes, drain pot and rinse eggs in cold water. Drain water again and replace with cold water. Leave pot in sink while eggs cool down. For rapid cooling, you may add ice to the cold water. Once eggs are cooled, drain pot.
4. Peel eggs by banging them against one another or rolling them over a hard surface under the palm of your hand, such as a counter top. Run it under slow-running, cool water to help shed the egg shell quickly and easily.
5. Prepare eggs into deviled eggs. Slice your hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolk by gently squeezing the egg and using your fingers to pry the yolk out. Transfer yolks to mixing bowl and arrange whites onto a plater, cut-side facing up.
6. Mash yolks with a fork until they are crumbled completely. Mix in mayonnaise (2 tablespoons is good for 6 eggs) and yellow mustard (again, 2 tablespoons = 6 eggs) until it forms a smooth paste. If mixture feels too stiff, add more mayo a small spoonful at a time until consistency is correct.
7. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Use a spoon or transfer mixture into piping bag through the use of a spatula. Fill in egg whites until the mix forms a small mound over the top. Sprinkle paprika and fresh herbs if desired.
8. Take 1 pitted olive per egg. Cut each olive in half lengthwise. Place half of this olive onto your deviled egg to act as the spider body.
9. Cut the other half of your olive into 2 vertical pieces, and cut each of these into 4 vertical slices to give you 8 "legs". Poke legs into egg filling to adhere them and arrange them into a splayed, spider-leg effect.