Meringue ghosts are sugary, airy, and delicious cookies perfect for sharing with a large crowd at your next Halloween party! These spooky meringue ghosts feature egg whites, sugar, and melted chocolate chips for eyes. Add this recipe to your Halloween party food list because everyone will be falling in love with this delightful treat!
2chocolate chips(melted, add more as needed - *see note)
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Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C) (*see note). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar together (using the medium setting) until they are extra foamy and thick with white color.
Increase the mixer to medium-high and gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time (*see note). Once the sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes, add in the vanilla. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 5-8 minutes.
Transfer the meringue into a piping bag with a round, wide tip (such as a Wilton 2A). Holding your bag straight up, squeeze a dollop of meringue onto the parchment paper or nonstick mat. Slightly lift up the bag and, continuing to add pressure, squeeze out a smaller dollop on top of the first.
Repeat this process one more time for the third, smaller, section on top of the ghost. Stop squeezing and lift the bag straight up to create the pointed top of your ghosts. Repeat this process with the remaining meringue to create the rest of your ghosts.
Bake at 200°F (93°C) on the lower middle rack (one place lower than the center rack) of your oven until the meringue is dry and firm, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Then, turn off the oven and leave the door ajar for the ghosts to cool. Leave them in the cooling oven for another hour (*see note).
Once completely cooled, remove the cookies from the oven.
Dip the end of a toothpick into your melted chocolate chips and dot on the eyes (*see note).
Notes
If you don't have time to let your eggs come to room temperature, you can place when into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. BUT - YOU HAVE TO DRY THE EGGS once warmed! Any bit of water will prevent your egg whites from forming a great meringue.
Caster sugar (or castor sugar) is ideal for making meringues. Since it i snot as common in the US, you can simply use a food processor to make your table sugar finer in consistency.
Instead of chocolate, you could also use an edible black marker, black food coloring, or black icing for the eyes.
It is really best to set your oven to the lowest temperature possible. When baked, you'll want your meringue cookies to be firm and dry, but not browning at all. To bake at a higher temp (if 225/250F is as low as your oven will cook at), reduce the baking time and watch your ghosts closely.
Make sure to add in your sugar gradually. If you add it all at once, you could deflate the frothy airiness from your egg whites.
Apply constant, gentle pressure while piping your ghosts. You don't need to stop squeezing in between each of the three dollops, simply lift the bag straight up to move on to the next layer.
It is important to allow your cookies to cool slowly in the oven with the door open. If you pull them from the oven and let them cool on the counter, the quick temperature change could cause them to crack.
If you are having difficulty with using a toothpick to dot on the chocolate eyes, you can always add your melted chocolate into a small storage bag and snip off a tiny piece of the corner to squeeze it on.
To store: Pack your meringues into an airtight container as soon as they are completely cooled to avoid them attracting moisture and becoming sticky. They can be kept this way for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Place your meringue cookies into an airtight container and store them in the freezer until ready to enjoy.
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