Meringue Ghosts Recipe

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place rack in the center of the oven.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Have a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch plain tip.

In your mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy.

Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until you get very stiff peaks.

Beat in vanilla extract.

Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Before placing the meringue ghosts on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper to prevent the paper from sliding.

Transfer the meringue to the pastry bag.

Holding the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe with even pressure, 2-inch high mounds of meringue.

Carefully press two miniature chocolate chips into each meringue ghost for the eyes, and the third chip for a mouth.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1¼ to 1½ hours or until they are dry and crisp to the touch and easily separate from the parchment paper.

Turn off the oven, slightly open the door, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying several hours, or even overnight.