The Devil’s Eggs And Spiders

These adorable Devil’s Eggs And Spiders are the perfect scary Halloween appetizer that’ll be a hit at your holiday party! Who doesn’t love a deviled egg? And what could be better than a make-ahead dish that both kids and adults love? 

One of my fondest Halloween memories was being invited to my niece’s home to trick-or-treat with her and my great-nephew. I knew that she was having a little get-together for the adults just before the actual trick-or-treating started. My contribution to the party menu was a large platter of The Devil’s Eggs And Spiders. They were a huge hit!

The rest of the evening was pure chaos with small children in costumes running around, moms trying to corral kids into a single direction, and dads drinking beer on the front lawn. I think the chaos increased in time with the sugar highs. By the end of the evening, I had no idea which kid belonged with what parent, candy wrappers and debris littered the lawn and the house, and a kid in a superhero costume was sitting on the kitchen floor complaining that the ‘cookies’ he was eating didn’t taste very good. He was munching on dog biscuits. Needless to say, I was very happy to kiss my family goodnight and return back home to peace and quiet. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!

Ingredients Needed

• Large eggs
• Mayonnaise
• Dijon mustard
• Hot sauce
• Garlic powder
• Sweet pickle relish
• Salt and pepper
• Black olives
• Sweet paprika or hot sauce

How To Get Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

How many times have you boiled a dozen or more eggs just to get 6 eggs without holes or tears in the whites when you went to peel them? It’s so frustrating. Luckily, there is an almost foolproof method…Steam them!

Steaming works because some of the steam permeates the shell, making it easier to remove. One thing to keep in mind is that cooking time will vary depending on the size of the eggs. For the first couple of times steaming eggs, I made one extra to remove and check for doneness.

So, steaming eggs is simply this easy: 

• Fill a saucepan with one inch of water and bring it to a boil.
• Place the eggs into the bottom of the pot and place the lid on tightly.
• Bring the water back to a boil and allow the eggs to steam for 11-15 minutes.
• Remove the eggs from the saucepan and plunge them into ice water.
• Allow the eggs to cool and easily peel them for perfect hard-boiled eggs.

Steps To Make This Recipe

1. Steam the eggs.
2. Slice the hardboiled eggs lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a small mixing bowl.
3. Use a fork to mash the yolks and then mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, garlic powder, relish, salt, and pepper.
4. Spoon the filling into the eggs.
5. Slice the black olives in half lengthwise.
6. Place one olive half on top of the egg yolk filling.
7. Slice the other olive halves into four equal slices, then cut those slices in half.
8. Use the sliced olive pieces to make the spider’s legs.
9. Lightly sprinkle the eggs with sweet paprika for a bit of ‘bloody’ color.

Tips And Variations

• Don’t use very fresh eggs to boil. Use eggs that you’ve purchased and allowed to age in your fridge
• Don’t overcook the eggs. If you have dry, crumbly yolks, yolks that have a green ring around them, or rubbery egg whites, you’ve overcooked the eggs. Use the overcooked eggs to make egg salad and start again.
• Don’t skip the ice bath. The ice water will halt the cooking immediately so you don’t risk overcooking the eggs. It also helps separate the egg membrane from the shell so they’re easier to peel.
• To save time, purchase pre-cooked and peeled hard-boiled eggs in the grocery store.
• Instead of mayonnaise, you can use Greek yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, or even mashed avocado.
• Dill relish works well for a more savory flavor.
• Use yellow mustard, stone ground mustard, or honey mustard instead of Dijon.
• Minced scallion, parsley, chives, or thyme can be added for a different flavor combination.
• If your eggs don’t lie flat, use a sharp knife to cut a small slice from the bottom to make a flat surface.
• Use a cookie scoop to mound the filling into the eggs.

More Fun, Savory Halloween Recipes To Try

• Scary Halloween Spider Pizza
• Monster Hands And Mash
• Spiced Pumpkin Bisque
• Mummy Hot Dogs With Spider Web Sauce
• Bones And Blood (Breadsticks And Sauce)

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