Meringue Ghosts (Gluten-Free)
Crisp meringue ghosts piped from three egg whites and sugar, with chocolate chip eyes. There is no flour of any kind in the recipe.
Yield20 ghosts
Prep15 min
Cook1 h 15 min
Total2 h 30 min
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) cream of tartar
- 1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) vanilla extract
- Certified gluten-free mini chocolate chips, or melted chocolate, for the faces
Method
- Heat the oven to 110 C (225 F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean, dry bowl on medium speed until frothy, then add the cream of tartar. Any trace of fat or yolk will stop the whites from whipping.
- Raise the speed to high and add the sugar 15 ml (1 Tbsp) at a time, beating until the meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in the vanilla at the end.
- Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe a coil about 5 cm (2 inches) tall for each ghost, spaced 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart, and flick the bag up at the end to pull a point.
- Bake 1 h 15 min, until the ghosts are dry to the touch and lift cleanly off the paper.
- Turn the oven off and leave them inside with the door ajar for 1 h.
- Press two mini chocolate chips into each cooled ghost for eyes, or paint faces on with melted chocolate and a toothpick.
Notes
- This is the most useful sweet on a mixed Halloween table: it is naturally gluten-free, it contains no flour to cross-contaminate, and it costs almost nothing to make in quantity.
- Humid days are the enemy. Meringue pulls moisture from the air and turns tacky; bake these on a dry day if you can.
Storage
- Airtight at room temperature up to 2 weeks. Never refrigerate; they go soft.
Check every label. Formulations change.
