These Halloween-fun cookies have licorice 'legs' and decorating gel red 'eyes'. American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) shares this braces-friendly Halloween recipe.

Spider Bites

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon. salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 package black rope licorice, cut into short 1-inch pieces
1 small tube of red (or color of choice) decorating gel
Toothpicks

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs into the mixture and blend. Slowly mix in flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder using low-medium speed.
3. Drop tablespoon helpings of mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets and roll each helping into a ball.
4. Bake 9 minutes. The batch should produce around three dozen cookies.
5. Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Then using a toothpick, create four small holes in either side of the cookie.
6. Still using the toothpick, push one end of a piece of the cut licorice into each hole, creating the "legs" of the spider. Keep licorice pieces short so as not to harm braces. Once all eight pieces are in place, create eyes or decorate at will using the green decorating gel.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Recipe idea adapted from "The Braces Cookbook" by Pamela Waterman.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists.