Turn egg whites and sugar into adorable meringue ghosts! Perfect for your Halloween parties – and kids love 'em!
You'll need:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup powdered sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar substitute with 1 cup granulated white sugar and process it for about 30 seconds in a food processor)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- candy eyes (can purchase online)
Here's how you make them:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Prepare a disposable pastry bag or large plastic food storage bag fitted with a large 1/2-inch plain tip.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer or hand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks.
- Add sugar, slowly a little at a time, while continuing to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Add vanilla extract.
- Place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding.
- Transfer the meringue to the pastry bag and, holding the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe, with even pressure, about 2-inch high mounds of meringue, releasing pressure as you pull the bag up to create a sort of bottom-heavy cone. Wet fingers with water and press on any pointy tops because they will brown in the oven. Carefully press two candy eyes or two miniature chocolate chips into each meringue ghost.
- Bake the meringues for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until they are dry and crisp to the touch. Turn off the oven, open the door and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight. Makes 20 to 24 ghosts.
Donna John