Spooky Halloween Treats Using Meringue

Basic Meringue Recipe:

3 egg whites
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon coconut extract (opt. or other flavors as desired)
Food coloring (if desired)

Mix together egg whites, sugar and salt and place in a double boiler. While
constantly stirring, cook until sugar is melted. Add extract if desired. Place
in mixing bowl and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. This will take
about 6-10 minutes depending on your mixer speed. Place meringue into a
pastry bag and create desired item on parchment paper or Silpat lined baking
sheets. Bake at 200 degrees for one hour and turn oven off. Leave in oven
until cold.

Witch Fingers:

Place meringue in a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe a finger shape
onto parchment paper, making slightly larger in the middle area to make a
knuckle. Take a knife and run through meringue in the knuckle area. Insert
an almond half in the end to create a fingernail. Paint nail with a red food
coloring wash if desired or leave almond plain. Bake as directed above. Let
cool and if desired, brush with dry cocoa powder or brush with green or
purple luster dust.

Ghosts:

Place meringue in piping bag with a large round tip. Carefully pipe mounds
of meringue getting smaller at the top pulling a tip of meringue into a peak.
Bake as directed above. When cool, melt candy coating in desired color (thin
with shortening if necessary) and dip the bottom (about ¼”) of each ghost in
the melted candy. Place on wax paper to set up. Using a tiny bit of icing,
place mini chocolate chips on ghosts for eyes or use black icing to pipe on
eyes.

To make ghosts on a stick, simply pipe meringue in large squiggles onto
parchment paper making a ghost shape and insert stick. Add eyes. Bake.

Eyeballs:

Place meringue into a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe a round mound
onto parchment paper. Place a round candy (m&m, Lifesaver, etc.) in the
middle. Gently run a toothpick that has been dipped in red food coloring
down the sides of the meringue eye in several places. Bake as above and let
cool. (Note: a red food color marker or small food safe brush and a red food
color wash can be used to highlight eye after baking if desired.)

To make eyes on a stick, pipe a round mound (or two touching mounds) of
meringue onto parchment paper. Place a round candy in the center of each
and insert a stick. Bake.

Bones:

Place meringue in piping bag with an extra large round tip. Without letting
pressure off the bag, pipe a bone shape onto parchment paper. Bake as
above. When cool, dust with dry cocoa powder if desired for an aged look or
leave white.

Candy Corn:

Divide meringue into thirds and tint one third yellow and one third orange
and leave the remaining third white. Place each color of meringue into a
piping bag fitted with a large star tip or round tip. Pipe a swirl of yellow onto
parchment paper, top with a smaller swirl of orange and top that with a small
swirl of white. Bake as directed above and cool. Dip bottom into yellow
candy melts and yellow sugar if desired.

Other Ideas:
Mouse: Pipe meringue into a mouse shape and add almond ears and a
licorice tail.

Pumpkin: Tint meringue orange and pipe a pumpkin shape. Insert pretzel
stick in top.

Monsters: Tint the meringue a variety of fun colors and pipe all sorts of
creative designs and embellish with candies, nuts, etc.

Skull: Pipe a skull shape. Teeth can be added using white candies (such as
Tic-Tac candies) or slivered almonds.

Spider: Tint the meringue black, purple or green. Add candy eyes and
licorice legs.

Witch Hat: Tint meringue desired color. Pipe a flat disk of meringue and then
a peak on top to form a pointed witch hat. Sprinkle with colored sugar.
Embellish with candy, ribbon, etc. after baking.