Meringue Ghosts
Almond meringue ghosts are light, airy, and crisp cookies. Not overly sweet with a hint of almond! You only need a few ingredients to get started. Add them to the top of cakes or cupcakes or eat them as they are!
How cute a little meringue ghost cookies! They’re great for kids and adults, Halloween parties, and to add to the tops of cakes and cupcakes. This recipe is easy to make, it just requires some patience, and a long baking (more like dehydrating) time.
Ingredients List
Meringues don’t require many ingredients and you probably have most of them already in your kitchen.
- Egg whites — an optional step is to “age” your egg whites. Measure out the egg whites into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes and let it sit overnight to 4 days in the refrigerator. Take them out 1 hour before using. Aging egg whites reduces the moisture and increase elasticity, which helps to avoid over-mixing in the stand mixer (a better chance for successful meringues).
- Granulated sugar — to sweeten and stabilize
- Cream of tartar — stabilizes the egg whites
- Almond extract — substitute vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste or any other liquid extract
- Kosher salt — for a lift of flavor
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips — to melt and paint on the ghost faces
A few other tools will be helpful to make these cute little ghost meringue cookies. I like to use a food safe thermometer to help check when the meringues are ready to whip.
You’ll need a piping bag and a round tip. I like using the Ateco #808 round tip, this brand is one of my favorite brands for piping tips. You can cut the piping bag with scissors, but for a clean appearance, a piping tip will make all the difference.
To paint on the ghost faces, I used a food safe brush.
Watch the Ghost Meringue Almond Cookies Video Here!
Up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. They don’t need to be refrigerated!
Check out these other Halloween Ideas!
Step 1: Make the Meringue
Preheat the oven to 220° F. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and a piping bag with the Ateco #808 tip. Set aside.
Add a 1/3 cup water into a double boiler. Heat the water until it’s simmering.
In your second pot, add the egg whites and sugar and gently whisk. The mixture is done when you no longer see the granulated sugar. Or, you can use a thermometer to check for 110° F.
Carefully add the hot mixture into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed for 30 seconds and then stop.
Add the cream of tartar, your extract of choice, and salt to the mixture. Then, turn on the stand mixer to high and let them whip up!
It will take some time to reach stiff peaks. Once the meringue can stand up on the whisk with a slight curl, it’s stable and ready to pipe!
Fill the piping bag with the meringue and start by piping with even pressure. Gently pull the piping bag up and then down again to pipe another dollop of meringue on top of the first one. Repeat again for a third dollop.
Pull the piping bag straight up and then away to one side to get that little curve! Make sure to pipe meringues with some space in-between.
Place the tray on the lower oven rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This is important!! When the time is up, turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. We want the meringues to slowly cool down in the oven to avoid cracking.
Let meringues cool for at least one hour or even overnight in the oven.
Step 2: Adding Little Ghost Faces
The ghost meringue cookies aren’t complete without little faces! Melt 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals to avoid burning the chocolate.
Use a food safe brush to dip into the chocolate and gently dab on the eyes and mouth. The chocolate will start to harden after a certain amount of time, so just slowly heat it up again.
How to Store Ghost Meringue Cookies
Meringue Troubleshooting
How To Prep For Meringues
Wipe down the mixing bowl and whisk attachment with white vinegar to clean any fats or oil residue.
Should I Use Liquid Egg Whites or Fresh Eggs?
Either one works. Just be careful not to get any egg yolk when separating the eggs. The yolk will deflate the mixture. You can find liquid egg whites in the refrigerated section in the grocery store.
My Meringue Is Split and Runny
Over-mixed meringue can cause the mixture to split and become runny. Unfortunately, you’ll have to start over. Once you have stiff peaks, stop mixing.
Why Are My Meringue Cookies Sticky?
Leftover moisture in the cookies makes them sticky. Make sure that the cookies dry out completely in the oven before removing them.
Cookies Are Cracking?
If cracks form in the cookies, your oven temperature was probably too high. All ovens are different, so you can lower the temperature to adjust and try baking on the center rack.
How Long Do They Last?
RECIPE CARD
Meringue Ghosts
Equipment
- Whisk attachment
- Distilled white vinegar for cleaning the bowl and whisk
Ingredients
- 3 oz liquid egg whites *about 3 fresh eggs
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar (5 oz or 114g)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp almond extract *Or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or other extract
- pinch kosher salt
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220° F. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and a piping bag with the Ateco #808 tip. Set aside. Wash the bowl and whisk with hot water and soap to remove oil residue. Then, wipe down the bowl and whisk with distilled vinegar using a paper towel.
- Add a 1/3 cup water into a double boiler. Heat the water until it's simmering.
- Place the second pot on top and add the egg whites and sugar and gently whisk. The mixture is done when you no longer see the granulated sugar. Or, you can use a thermometer to check for 110° F.
- Carefully add the hot mixture into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar, your flavoring of choice, and salt to the mixture. Then turn on the stand mixer to high and let them whip up!
- Once the meringue can stand up on the whisk with a slight curl, it's stable and ready to pipe! Fill the prepare piping bag with meringue.
- Pipe a dollop. Gently pull the piping bag up and then down again to pipe another dollop of meringue on top of the first one. Repeat again for a third dollop. Pull the piping bag straight up and then away to one side to get that little curve!
- Place the tray on the lower oven rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the oven but do not open the over door. Let meringues cool in the oven for at least one hour or more.
- Melt 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals to avoid burning it. Use a food safe brush to dip into the chocolate and gently dab on the eyes and mouth.
- Store your cookies in an airtight container for two weeks. They don't need to be refrigerated!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, and should be used as an approximation.
