Meringue ghosts for Halloween, simple meringues transformed for the occasion into sweet little ghosts to enjoy made of just egg whites and sugar. For those who want to avoid adding sugars to their diet, remember that we can make sugar-free meringues.
Meringues are a simple dessert of French origin made from egg whites and sugar. To make them, the key to success is to beat the egg whites very well until they form stiff peaks. Once the egg whites have been beaten to the right consistency, success is guaranteed; you just need to keep the oven low during cooking so they don’t turn yellow on the surface. In fact, it’s more about drying them than cooking, which used to be difficult because you had to leave the oven door slightly open, but with new electric ovens, you can directly set the low temperature, and the result is guaranteed.
To decorate the ghosts, simply melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler or directly in the microwave. Melting chocolate in the microwave is my preferred method; the only thing to watch is to check the chocolate every 30 seconds, stir it slightly, and continue in 30-second intervals until completely melted.
I suggest a few other recipes to brighten up your Halloween parties
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 12 ghosts
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Energy 96.63 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 18.45 (g) of which sugars 17.15 (g)
- Proteins 1.52 (g)
- Fat 2.19 (g) of which saturated 1.35 (g)of which unsaturated 0.74 (g)
- Fibers 0.69 (g)
- Sodium 16.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 27 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Meringues are made only from egg whites and sugar
- 100 g egg whites
- drops lemon
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 50 g dark chocolate
- 10 g milk
Tools
To prepare the meringues, you need a good mixer or better yet, a stand mixer because the crucial step is to beat the egg whites perfectly.
- 1 Electric Whisk
Preparation
The preparation requires at least 10 minutes to beat the egg whites well, but the time varies depending on the power of your mixer; it may take a few more minutes.
Start the preparation by putting the egg whites in a large bowl and begin beating the egg whites at medium speed, first adding the lemon drops, then when they start to bubble, add the sugar. Add the granulated sugar first, as it takes longer to dissolve, and then the powdered sugar.
When the egg whites are perfectly beaten, you’ll know because they won’t fall back into the bowl when lifting the beaters, put them into a piping bag with a smooth tip. To facilitate filling the bag, as you can see in the video, I help by placing the piping bag in a tall glass. After forming all your ghosts, as you can see well in the video, I first make a wider meringue round and then overlay another narrower meringue that will normally have a “tuft.” Bake them at max 250°F (120°C) for about 50 minutes. The “cooking” depends on the power of your oven; they need to dry inside without turning yellow on the surface.
After removing your meringues from the oven, you are ready for decoration, which can also be done simply with hazelnut cream, but it would always remain soft, so I prefer to decorate with melted dark chocolate in the microwave or double boiler, because dark chocolate hardens when cooled, and your ghosts will remain perfect for days.
NOTES
Meringues are a dessert that keeps very well at room temperature for many days, so you can prepare your ghosts well in advance and have them ready for any occasion.
Meringues are a dessert that keeps very well at room temperature for many days, so you can prepare your ghosts well in advance and have them ready for any occasion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you flavor meringues?
Of course, you can add a few drops of lemon to add flavor to your meringues or vanilla essence, but don’t overdo it because they are already delicious.
Can I beat the egg whites by hand?
Sure, you can beat the egg whites with a hand whisk, but be prepared that it takes a lot of energy and at least 20 minutes of time to dissolve the granulated sugar well.
