These delicious crunchy meringue ghosts as such as airy as they are eerie. An easy treat to add to your Halloween buffet, to prepare in advance to top Halloween cakes and cupcakes or to bag with a cute ribbon and gift friends and family members.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
• 6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¼ cup Chefmaster Deluxe Meringue Powder
• ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract (more if you desire a stronger flavor profile)

Tools & Utensils:

Measuring Cups & Spoons

Small Sauce Pan (or Hot Water Kettle)

Stand Mixer with a whisk attachment

1 Decorating Pastry bag with a coupler and large round decorating tip (#1A or similar recommended)

1 Decorating Pastry bag with a coupler and small round decorating tip (#2 or 3 recommended)

Rubber Band (or flat plastic bag clip)

Silicone Spatulas 

Small bowl (microwave safe)

Baking Sheets

Parchment Paper

Tall wide Glass or small flower vase (optional)

Preparation:

1. Prepare and measure all your ingredients.
• Reserve the chocolate chips for later (see step 14)
2. Heat oven to 250°F (225°F for convection oven). 
3. Put water to boil.
4. Add granulated sugar to the mixer bowl. 
5. Pour boiling water on the top of your sugar and stir on lowest setting until fully dissolved. 
6. Let mix cool off completely. During that time, line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Once simple syrup is fully cooled, add your meringue powder. 
8. Beat at medium speed for a few minutes, then high speed until high, stiff peaks form. 
9. Mix in the vanilla flavor until well blended. 
10. Fold the top of a pastry bag down a few inches and use a spatula to carefully transfer the remainder of the white meringue mixture into the decorating pastry bag with the large round tip. 
• It is easier to set your pastry bag inside a tall glass with the tip down and fold over the sides of the glass than to hold the bag with your hands.
• Close your decorating bag by twisting the top and sealing with a strong rubber band or plastic bag clip.
11. Pipe white meringue ghosts onto a paper lined baking sheet by making small zigzag movement with your wrist. Leave approx. 1 inch in between each ghost.
12. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes (oven times may vary). To finish baking let the cookies sit 1-2 hours inside oven without opening the door (or open oven door slightly and leave in the oven for 6-8 hours). 
13. Let your meringue drops cooled completely.
14. Melt your chocolate into your microwave 30 seconds at a time until smooth.
15. Transfer melted chocolate into decorating pastry bag with the small decorating tip.
16. Pipe faces on your meringue ghosts. 
17. Let chocolate fully harden before bagging or storing into an airtight container for a few weeks.