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Ghost meringue cookies with candy eyes on a black plate.
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5 from 3 votes

Ghost Meringues

This fun little Ghost Meringues are a deliciously crunchy, sweet cookie treat or decoration for Halloween goodies! Use candy eyes or mini chocolate chips to decorate these cute little guys!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat
Servings: 36 ghosts
Calories: 24kcal
Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
  • Beat the egg whites in a large, very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed for about 1 minute until frothy.
  • Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat another 2-3 minutes on medium speed until the egg whites start to form soft peaks that droop if you were to remove the whisk attachment from the bowl.
  • Gradually add the salt and granulated sugar, a little at a time, while beating. Continue to beat the egg whites for 5-10 minutes until they are thick and glossy with stiff peaks that hold their shape without drooping when you lift the whisk attachment away from the bowl.
  • Add in the vanilla, mixing just until it is combined.
  • Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a large open round tip or a Ziploc bag with one end snipped off one. Pipe dollops of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet to make ghosts in whatever sizes you like. They won't spread while baking so they can be piped fairly close together as long as there is enough space that they aren't at risk of touching.
  • Carefully place candy eyes on each "ghost" before baking".
  • Bake for 60 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the ghost meringues in there for 1 hour with the door closed to cool slowly before removing.
  • Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days. If left exposed and there is humidity in the room, the meringues will lose much of their crispness and get chewy.

Notes

  • If you find that the parchment paper moves around on you a lot while piping, you can stick it down by piping small dots of meringue directly onto the baking sheet in each corner, then placing the parchment paper on top.
  • To fix meringues that have gone chewy from being left out too long, you can put them back in a 225 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit.
  • Instead of candy eyes, you could use an edible pen to draw eyes onto the ghosts after baking. Or use melted chocolate or black icing to pipe on faces.
  • Make sure the bowl is completely clean and free of any grease or residue, which can make it hard to beat the egg whites into stiff peaks.
  • Be careful to avoid getting any egg yolk into the egg whites, which can also make it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the stiff peaks you need for meringue ghosts.

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 13mg | Sugar: 6g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg