We’re back with another recipe for you this frightful season! Don’t worry, nothing about this recipe is even remotely scary!
These ghost meringues are 100% treat with absolutely no tricks up their sleeves, making them perfect for making with your little ones, and also to give others when they come trick-or-treating at your door! No matter what you’re dressed as, Halloween candies always gets everyone gobblin’, so why not try this recipe for something different this year?
Meringue cookies are made out of egg whites and granulated white sugar whipped to peak perfection, and then baked in the oven at a low temperature. If you haven’t had one before then trust me, you won’t regret it. We personally love meringue cookies for how crispy they are when you take a bite, but then melts in your mouth straight after. They’re light, airy and totally test your self-control.
This recipe makes about 60-80 little ghosts, which sounds like a lot, I know. But once you’re done and decide to take a cheeky piece (Or maybe five, who’s counting? Don’t worry, we won’t tell), you’ll realise that this recipe makes just the right amount for Halloween. Feel free to double or triple up as well; the more the merrier! Meringue cookies are versatile too, so this recipe can be used to make other shapes and designs like what we’ve done here!
We made these by whipping egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture reached stiff peaks as seen in the picture above. The mixture will look glossy and smooth, and should also be stable enough to stand on its own. You can tell by looking at the peak of the meringue - it should stand vertically (might have a slight curl at the end sometimes) once you pull it out of the mixture. If you’re unsure about whipping meringues and want to find out more, then check out our article on the types of meringues for more tips on making meringue cookies.
Most of the work will be done using an electric mixer or a hand-mixer if you happen to have one, so all you have to do is pipe the meringue on a lined baking sheet, put them in the oven, and that’s it! If you don’t have piping bags handy, you can also use a Ziploc bag and cut off one of the corners. While piping the meringue, make sure to squeeze from the back to have better control of the batter coming out of the tip.
Decorating them after with some melted chocolate or black icing gel is also super cute and fun, which makes for an activity that kids will be 10/10 keen to get involved in. You can use simple tools that you can find in your kitchen, such as toothpicks and fork to help you with the finer details. You can also use mini chocolate chips for your designs, which will also make these ghosts a teeny bit more indulgent. For our recipe, we had an incredibly therapeutic time creating different looks for each ghost using chocolate emulco and toothpicks.
Did someone say #squadghouls?
These babies look adorable on a platter if you happen to be planning or going for a halloween potluck. They are also simple and creative make-ahead treats as they can be kept in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks in a cool, dry place. Time to get this party startled!
4 Egg Whites
200g Granulated Sugar
For Decor: Black Decorating Icing Gel / Molten Chocolate / Coffee or Chocolate Emulco
Extra Tools: Piping bags, toothpicks, parchment paper
Yield: 60-80 ghost meringues
Step 1: Preheat oven to 95°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare your piping bag by fitting a round tip on the end. If you don’t have a round tip, simply snip a small portion of the tip off after filling it.
Step 2: In a clean (oil and grease free) bowl, whip up your egg whites on medium speed until foamy. We recommend using an electric mixer/hand mixer if you have one!
Step 3: Once egg whites are foamy, gradually add sugar while increasing the speed to medium-high, until egg mixture looks glossy and reaches stiff peaks. You can check this by lifting your whisk up from the mixture. If the tip has a vertical peak that doesn’t collapse on its own, then your mixture is ready!
Step 4: Transfer mixture into prepared piping bag and start piping on the lined baking sheet. Pipe a small dollop first and lift your piping bag up slightly to create layers for the ghost. Release the pressure a little while pulling up at the same time to create the layers.
Step 5: Place baking tray on the middle rack and bake for about 1-2h until surface of the ghosts are dry. The insides of the meringues should be dry and crispy instead of chewy.
Step 6: Once completely cooled, they are ready to decorate! Give your ghosts some character by adding eyes and mouths with melted chocolate or black icing gel.
Storage Information: Store in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.
Trying this recipe out? Make sure you hashtag #bakestarters on Instagram so we can see your wonderful creations!
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