Meringue Ghosts

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. 2
   Line 2 baking sheets with cooking parchment, or butter havile and dust with flour.
3. 3
   In a deep bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on highest speed until they form a thick foam.
4. 4
   Continue beating, adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, every 30 seconds or so.
5. 5
   Whip until meringue hold very stiff peaks.
6. 6
   Beat in vanilla.
7. 7
   If using parchment, smear a little meringue on every corner to make it stick to baking sheets.
8. 8
   Spoon meringue into a pastry bag, fitted with 1/2 in plain tip (or spoon into heavy duty plastic bag and snip one corner to make 1/2 in opening).
9. 9
   Pipe meringue onto baking sheets into ghostly shapes, about 1/4 in-1/2 in thick , 2-4 in wide and 4-6 in long, spacing 2 inches apart.
10. 10
    To make eyes (noses, mouths) press chocolate chips lightly into meringue.
11. 11
    Bake in oven until meringues begin to turn pale gold and are firm to touch.
12. 12
    1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours.
13. 13
    Switch pan positions halfway through baking.
14. 14
    Turn off heat and leave meringues in closed oven for an hour.
15. 15
    Release ghosts with a spatula.