Meringue Ghost Cookies for Halloween

These Meringue Ghost Cookies for Halloween are so easy to make; little hands can help. The perfect treat for kids of all ages!

A couple of weeks ago I got together with a friend who also blogs; she and I had plans to make cocktails for today’s Progressive Eats event and we were going to do it right…dry ice and spooky all around.

Well…what the heck happened Barb? Timing happened! I didn’t get to my cocktail until the next day; my Friday Cocktails weekly post was only 2 days away and well, doesn’t take much imagination to figure out I punted.

The spooky good Ghost in the Graveyard Cocktail was published last Friday for Friday Cocktails and I was back to square one. My friend Ansh from Spiceroots persevered though and her cocktail contribution is fitting for the theme she chose as this month’s host, A Spooktacular Halloween Party.

Be sure to check out her and other’s contributions after the recipe. Yes, we are a bit late; someone put a spell on us! Still, these cookies? So easy; three ingredients including the chocolate chip eyes. Mix up some meringue and let them dry in a 200 degree oven for a couple of hours and voila…done!

I started making these Meringue Christmas Tree Cookies years ago for the Christmas Holiday; I love how easily they segued to Halloween. These were much easier too…no glitter or stars, just a couple of mini chocolate chips inserted bottom side out; regular chocolate chips would work too. I had some little hands helping so plan on someone getting very sticky…but we had fun!

This is a fun family effort. Meringue is easy enough, just whipped egg whites with sugar, the ghosts don’t require any special equipment, not even a frosting tip. Cut the corner of a plastic freezer bag and you’ve got a dispenser. And then just swirl a couple of layers and voila…ready for you or kids to poke in a couple of chocolate chips for eyes.

The biggest job is patience. Meringue needs to bake at a low heat; you want to gently bake the inside and just as gently harden the outside and it’s done with a low oven temperature and left for a relatively long time. If I have the time I’ll typically make them the day before I want them and then leave them in the oven overnight after I turn it off.

They should be crunchy on the outside but softer and melt in your mouth on the inside. Fair warning…they are SO easy to gobble down, with or without goblins!

These Meringue Ghost Cookies for Halloween are really so perfect; meringue cookies literally melt in your mouth. Doesn’t that seem most appropriate for a ghost? BOO!!

Spooktacular Halloween Party

Appetizers

• Spooky Breadstick Fingers from Mother Would Know

Drinks

• Black Magic Martini from Spiceroots

Desserts

• Meringue Ghost Cookies from Creative Culinary (You’re Here!)
• Mummy Cookies from The RedHead Baker
• Jack O’Lantern Apple Hand Pies from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Halloween Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Loch Ness Monster Pumpkin Strudel from Pastry Chef Online

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. Our menu this month features a cocktail, appetizers and desserts for a Spooktacular Halloween Party. Hosting this month is Ansh from Spiceroots.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

PIN ‘Meringue Ghost Cookies’

Yield: 8 Servings

Meringue Ghost Cookies for Halloween

Print

A simple cookie made from merignue and decorated with chocolate chips. Everyone loves them!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract Powder (optional)
• 1 cup superfine sugar (I just put regular sugar in my processor for a minute to get it finer
• Mini Chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy.
4. Add the cream of tartar  and vanilla extract powder and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks.
5. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat on medium-high speed until the meringue holds very stiff peaks.
6. Pipe meringues in a ghost shape using a large piping tip or snip the end of a ziploc bag.
7. Add two chocolate chips to the top part for eyes and if desired, a larger one for a mouth (optional).
8. Bake the meringues for 2 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back about half way through to ensure even baking.
9. They should not be brown but crisp on the outside. Cool completely.
   

Notes

The single biggest issue for success with meringue is to start with super clean beaters and bowl. ANY touch of fat on either will doom them and you will have blobs, not ghosts!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 38gProtein: 3g

The nutritional information is computer-generated and only an estimate.