Meringue Ghosts make the perfect easy Halloween Treat! They are nut-free for classroom Halloween parties and low calories for those watching their waistline! The outside of the meringue cookie is light, airy and crisp, while the inside is soft like a marshmallow.
Preheat oven to 225ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking sheet.
Separate egg whites, being very careful not to get any shell or yolk into the bowl. (make sure the egg whites are room temperature... let sit out on counter for at least 30 minutes)
Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat egg whites on low speed. Add the cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, and continue to beat on medium speed until mixture is foamy. (FYI - I used my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the whisk attachment)
Turn the mixer to high speed and with the mixer running, gradually add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until sugar is dissolved and mixture looks thick and shiny and still peaks form (see photo above - it will take approx 5-7 min).
Optional - fold in flavoring if desired
Spoon meringue into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe the meringue onto the lined baking sheets, spacing approximately 2 inches apart (the meringue cookies should not spread when baking, so don't worry if they are close to each other). If you don’t have a pipping bag, you can use a spoon to make mounds of meringue on the baking sheet.
Carefully place 2 eyes and one mini chocolate chip on each meringue cookie. (it is much easier using decorating tweezers to help place them)
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, then turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Let cookies stand in oven for 1 -2 hours until completely cooled.