Meringue Ghosts Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Cool: 1

Total Time: 2 10

Servings: meringues

Calories: 12kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These Halloween meringue ghosts are one of my favorite quick and easy Halloween dessert recipes to make for parties!

Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin mixing the egg whites on medium speed while slowly adding in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.
2 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar
Add in the vanilla extract and mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag and create small round dollops on the baking sheet (you want them to be about 1-inch or the size of a Hershey kiss).
Bake for 1 hour then turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool to room temperature inside.
Add 2 small dots to the meringues using the black food marker to resemble eyes.
Black edible marker

*I used a Wilton FoodWriter, but any brand will do as long as it's food-safe! A little melted chocolate also works in a pinch!

Tips:

Use room temperature egg whites for the best results.
I like to use the leftover yolks to make this easy pumpkin cake!
Make sure your mixing bowl is completely clean before whipping the eggs. Any residue left in the bowl could cause them not to whip properly.
For extra stabilization, you can add ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar before you add the sugar.
Add the sugar slowly to avoid deflating your egg whites.
If you don't have a piping bag, you can always use a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off. However, a piping bag might be less messy.
To avoid the meringue cookies becoming sticky or chewy, it's best to leave them in the oven to reach room temp after baking. This helps create the best consistency.
To avoid the cookies cracking, leave them in the oven to reach room temp. Meringue cracks due to sudden change of temperature, which is just another reason to let them gradually adjust.
Make sure the black food marker you use is indeed that - a food marker! You want to make sure your ghosts are safe and edible.

Storage: Store meringue ghosts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.