Gastly Ghost Meringues

Halloween is an awesome time of the year when chocolate is on sale and you get to dress up in strange costumes and annoy your friends.

But wouldn't it be awesome if you could create your own little edible ghosts? (I'm sure everyone has thought of this..... right?...... Right?!). Maybe I am just weird but these ghosts are just so simple, adorable and delicious and your friends will love them too!!

Don't be afraid to give your ghosts a little attitude and different looks. They are your creations! Go wild!!

For the Meringues:

- 250g caster sugar

- 4 large egg whites (room temperature)

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 pinch salt

- 1 pinch cream tartare

For the black royal icing

- 1 egg white (room temperature)

- 1 1/4 cup icing sugar

- Black food colouring (I prefer gel, it gives a better colour)

- Electric mixer with a whisk attachment

- Spatula/ bowl scraper

- 2 Piping bags

- 1 Large circular piping nozzle

- 1 Small circular piping nozzle

- Baking paper

- Baking trays

- Spoon

First to make your adorably sweet little ghosts, make sure your bowl (preferably stainless steel) that you will whip your egg whites in is clean and free of any egg yolk, dust or fat. This ensures the egg whites are not contaminated and fluff up beautifully!

Then take your room temperature egg whites and beat them on medium-low speed until they become frothy. Then increase the speed to high for about 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form (they hold their shape).

Turn the beater on a medium speed and add your caster sugar spoonful at a time this will make sure that the caster sugar is incorporated equally throughout the mixture and will become nice and glossy. Mix for about a minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the vanilla, cream of tartare and salt and then continue to mix for at least another 5 minutes until the mixture is glossy. You can test this by taking some meringue mixture and rubbing between your fingers, if it feels grainy or sandy at all, continue to mix until it is completely smooth.

Take your piping bag with the large circular piping nozzle and add the meringue mixture (you may need to do this in batches).

Then for your tray, so your ghosts don't run away, pipe a small amount of the mixture onto your baking tray and then line with baking paper. then proceed to pipe out your adorable little ghosts onto your tray!

Now don't be afraid to make them in all wonderful shapes and sizes but try and make them roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.

Now because we want them to stay white, we don't want them to go too brown, we bake them at a lower temperature. We start with the oven at 150 degrees Celcius (300 degrees Fahrenheit). As soon as they are in the oven, reduce the heat to 100 degrees Celcius (210 degrees Fahrenheit). for about 45minutes to an hour or until they can easily peel off the baking paper.

A few notes

I like my meringues more like a pavlova (crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside). Depending on how you like yours, you may need more time in the oven.

Fort traditional meringue crunchiness you may want to keep them in the oven for up to 2 hours or turn the heat off and keep them in overnight to dry out.

While the meringues are cooling we get to make our ghosts' make-up.... or decorations.

Take the other egg white and again, make sure that your bowl is nice and clean. Then whisk them until soft-hard peaks form. slowly add the icing sugar spoonful by spoonful and continue to mix until it is all incorporated. Don't forget to scrape down the sides.

Then add your black food colouring, add as much as you want, I like mine to be pitch black so I do add quite a bit. You want it to be nice and thick.

Place a small circular piping nozzle into another piping bag and place the black icing into it. And like magic you are ready to decorate your baby ghosts!!

Make sure that your meringues are room temperature, you do not want to pipe your icing onto warm meringues as this may make the icing run down your ghosts and make them look like Alice Cooper or that they have been crying whilst wearing mascara..... I think we have all been there.

These little ghosts take very little effort to make and they are just so adorable and fun to share with everyone on Halloween!!

I hope you enjoy them!