Ghostly Halloween Meringues
October 26, 2009 posted by Linda Avery
by Jill O’Connor
from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, Treats for Kids
(Chronicle Books, 2009)
Makes about 2 dozen 4-inch meringue ghosts
I still remember my third-grade Halloween party. So when my oldest daughter, Olivia, was in the third grade, I decided to throw her a party, too. I satisfied my inner Martha and draped the furniture in white sheets, and spent hours tea-dying ripped cheesecloth to hang as curtains. Olivia and I cut hundreds of bats from black construction paper and taped them all over the walls and ceiling. We laid a ghostly buffet set with our scariest tarnished silver cake stands and platters and piled them high with chocolate bats and orange shortbread pumpkins, and these airy ghost-shaped meringues. The scariest thing about this party was how exhausted we all were when it was over. These little meringue ghosts have reappeared over the years—it’s a great way to use up leftover egg whites. They make a great nibble alongside a dollop of pudding, as you relax with your feet up and wait for the first trick-or-treaters to knock at your door.
convert Ingredients
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
48 mini semisweet chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup)
Method
1. Set a rack in the middle shelf of the oven and place a second rack on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large metal bowl and using an electric mixer set at low speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add the salt, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Gradually, add the superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks.
4. Sift the confectioners’ sugar, a second time, over the meringue. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the sugar into the meringue just until no streaks of sugar remain. Do not fold any more than is necessary. as overmixing will deflate the meringue.
5. Spoon the meringue into a large self-sealing plastic bag. Use a sharp pair of scissors to snip 1/2 inch off from one corner of the bag to form a makeshift piping bag.
6. Pipe 12 meringue ghosts onto each lined baking sheet. Hold the bag upright and squeeze the meringue, forming a wide base, a slightly smaller middle, and a curled top (almost as if you were piping a soft-serve ice-cream cone) to form a chubby, upright ghost shape. Press two chocolate chips (flat side out) into the face of each ghost to form eyes.
7. Bake the meringue ghosts for 2 hours, or until crisp. Baking the meringue ghosts for a long time at a low temperature ensures they will remain crisp and very white. If the meringues start to color, reduce the oven temperature to 175°F (79°C). When the meringue ghosts are crisp, turn the oven off and allow them to cool in the oven for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
Recipe © 2009 Jill O’Connor. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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