Meringue Ghosts

Notes: If making up to 1 week ahead, cool, then store airtight at room temperature. Handle gently - ghosts are fragile.

Yield: Makes 8 to 12 ghosts

Ingredients

• 3  large egg whites
• 1/2  teaspoon  cream of tartar
• 3/4  cup  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla
• 16  to 24 miniature semisweet chocolate chips or pieces semisweet chocolate

Preparation

1. Line 2 baking sheets (each 14 by 17 in.) with cooking parchment, or butter sheets and dust with flour.

2. In a deep bowl, with a mixer at high speed, whip egg whites and cream of tartar to a thick foam. Continuing to beat, add sugar, 1 tablespoon every 30 seconds, then whip until meringue holds very stiff peaks.

3. Beat in vanilla. If using cooking parchment, smear a little meringue on the underside of each corner to make it stick to baking sheets.

4. Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (or spoon into a gallon-size heavy plastic food bag, then cut off 1 corner to make a 1/2-inch-wide opening). Pipe meringue onto baking sheets into ghostly shapes about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, 2 to 4 inches wide, and 4 to 6 inches long, spacing about 2 inches apart. To make eyes (noses and mouths, if desired) press chocolate chips lightly into meringue.

5. Bake in a 200° oven until meringues begin to turn pale gold and are firm to touch, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (1 to 1 1/4 hours in a convection oven); switch pan positions halfway through baking. Turn off heat and leave meringues in closed oven for 1 hour.

6. Slide a spatula under meringues to release.

Nutritional analysis per ghost.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

59 (4.6% from fat)

Protein:

0.9g

Fat:

0.3g (sat 0.2)

Carbohydrate:

13g

Fiber:

0.0g

Sodium:

14mg

Cholesterol:

0.0mg