Making the Donuts

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This is key for perfectly baked donuts! A preheated oven ensures even cooking and helps the donuts rise properly.
2. Prepare the Donut Pan: Lightly grease your donut pan with cooking spray or butter. This helps prevent sticking and ensures a smooth release. If you don’t have a donut pan, you can use a muffin pan, but the shape will be slightly different.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. This step combines all the dry ingredients, ensuring even distribution and helps to aerate the flour.
4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure everything is well combined; this is where the flavor comes together!
5. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Don’t worry if it’s a bit lumpy; overmixing can lead to tough donuts, and we want them light and fluffy!
6. Fill the Pan: Using a piping bag or a spoon, carefully fill each donut mold about halfway with the batter. This will give them room to rise without overflowing.
7. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This step is crucial for achieving that perfect baked texture.
8. Cool the Donuts: Let the donuts cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to firm up a bit and makes glazing easier.

Making the Chocolate Glaze

9. Melt the Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring after each until smooth. Be patient, as chocolate can burn quickly! You can also use a double boiler if you prefer to melt the chocolate that way.
10. Glaze the Donuts: Once the donuts are cool, dip the top half of each donut into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. This creates a nice, even coating.
11. Add the Spiders: While the glaze is still wet, place candy spiders on top. Get creative and let the kids help! They can position the spiders however they like for a personalized touch.

Optional Decorating Tips

• Add Sprinkles: Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle some colorful Halloween sprinkles on top for an extra festive touch. The more colorful, the better!
• Drizzle with White Chocolate: Melt some white chocolate and drizzle it over the glazed donuts for a creepy web effect. This adds an artistic flair that enhances their spooky look.