Don’t be afraid. Come closer. These crisp, melt-in-your mouth meringue ghosts are sweet little things that help make Halloween memorable. They are truly happy and most playful atop moist, chocolate cupcakes slathered with black chocolate buttercream frosting, but are always up for other edible celebratory adventures.
I first met them several years ago when Chef Catherine Christiansen sent the recipes for a Beyond Wonderful Halloween baking piece I took one look and felt a cold wind blowing. The ghosts were a cute idea, but I’d never made meringue from scratch. Who does that in today’s world? Worse yet, they had to be piped onto a baking sheet for a photo shoot. Everyone on my team quickly abandoned the kitchen and left me to fend for myself. Deep sigh.
I soon discovered that meringue was super easy to make because I knew how to whip egg whites properly. First, for maximum volume, egg whites should be brought to room temperature before whipping.
Second, since grease interferes with egg whites’ frothing action, make sure that your bowl and utensils are perfectly clean, and avoid using plastic bowls, which can harbor traces of grease even after thorough cleaning. Similarly, even a hint of stray yolk mixed in with the whites will prevent proper whipping, so use care when separating the eggs.
Let’s get started.
Halloween Meringue Ghosts
| 3 | large | egg whites |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | cream of tartar |
| 3/4 | cup | granulated sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | vanilla extract |
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line two baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease and dust with flour.
1. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl and use an electric mixer at high speed to beat until the whites hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
2. Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a ½” round tip. Holding bag straight up squeeze meringue onto a small pile on baking sheet. Build up the “body” of the ghost and end with a point on top.
Note: Don’t worry about your piping skills as perfection is not required. Embrace the thin and fat, left and right leaning, and weird heads that add character once the eyes and mouths are added.
3. Bake the ghosts in the preheated oven until the meringues are firm to touch, about 75 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and leave the meringues in the closed oven for 1 hour. Lift one up and test the bottom center to see if they have dried out. If not, leave in the oven for an additional 20–30 minutes.
5. To decorate: Make “eyes” and “mouth” with dots of black buttercream. Alternatively, poke miniature chocolate chips into the ghosts to create facial features.
6. Ghosts can be made up to 1 week ahead in a dry climate. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature.
Note: Don’t fret if the ghosts become moist as they basically hold their shape and taste quiet nice in a sticky, chewy way.
The cupcakes are up to you. If homemade sounds good, try this yummy chocolate sour cream recipe. Then again, you may prefer a good devil’s food cake mix when time is tight.
Frosting, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. No canned, store bought sweetness allowed. Instead, my Halloween gift to you—a decadent, voluptuously dark and creamy buttercream frosting that’s over-the-top good. Make a double batch; one for the cupcakes and one for you to keep hidden in the fridge with a spoon for frequent treats. I’ll never tell.
…then again, I can’t vouch for the ghosts.
