Meringue Ghosts: A Spooky Vegan Halloween Treat

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THESE MERINGUE GHOSTS ARE SO CUTE AND FLUFFY: THE PERFECT HALLOWEEN TREAT FOR ANYONE: KIDS, ADULTS AND YOUR SCARY MONSTERS GUESTS!

I have been playing with the idea of making spooky meringue ghosts for quite some time.

They look so cute and irresistible!

But I really wanted to try to make a vegan version! I wouldn’t go as far as calling these meringue ghosts healthy vegan Halloween treats, as they contain a lot of sugar!

But they are definitely lighter than the version made with eggs, and especially good if you have any egg allergies.

The first time I heard of vegan meringue I was a bit skeptical. How can you make meringue without eggs? I am sure if you have been vegan for quite some time you know the answer already.

But for all the newbie out there, the answer is chickpea brine, also known as aquafaba.

But What is Aquafaba?

Aquafaba is the liquid that you find in canned chickpeas. You have probably been throwing that away, but that’s one of the most magical ingredients you can find!

This sticky water is full of proteins and if you whip it, it acts like egg white: it traps air and becomes light and fluffy. It’s the perfect substitute for egg white in any recipe, not just in a meringue.

You can use it in muffins, cakes, mousse recipes and everything else that requires a light texture. You can even use it to make vegan mayonnaise!

How to Make Vegan Meringue

You are not going to believe how easy it is to make vegan meringue!

It’s easier to make than the version with eggs!

You just need to remember a few things:

1. Use unsalted canned chickpeas, like these ones.
2. Add cream of tartar to your aquafaba: this is a trick used in standard meringue recipes too. The acidity of the cream of tartar helps to prevent proteins to bond too tightly, allowing to trap more air bubble and holding them in place for longer.
3. It is impossible to overwhip aquafaba: you can mix it for ages, but you will not have the same risks as overmixing egg whites.
4. You need to make sure the whipped aquafaba is quite stiff before adding the sugar.
5. Add the sugar very slowly, one spoon at the time!

And now that you know all the tips to make a perfect vegan meringue, let’s make these spooky Halloween meringue ghosts!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Meringue Ghosts

These cute and fluffy meringue ghosts are the perfect vegan Halloween treat for anyone: kids, adults and your scary monster guests!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• ½ cup (120ml) aquafaba (chickpea brine) - *see notes
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar - *see notes
• ½ cup (125g) Icing sugar
• A couple of squares of dark vegan chocolate

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 230°F (110°C/ fan 90°C) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Drain the chickpeas and add the chickpeas brine (aquafaba) into a large clean bowl. Add the cream of tartar to the bowl too.
• Whisk with a stand mixer or an electric whisk to med-high for approximately 5-6 minutes until it's more than doubled in size, white and foamy. Make sure you mix until you get stiff peaks.
• Start adding the icing sugar very slowly, one tablespoon at the time and continue until all the sugar has been added. By the end, you should have a beautiful glossy mixture!
• Transfer the meringue mixture into an icing bag with a large round plain nozzle and pipe into spooky ghosts shapes.
• Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours. Do NOT be tempted to open the oven! After 2 hours, turn the oven off and leave the ghosts to cool in the oven for at least another hour (better if you can leave them longer or overnight). 
• When the ghosts are completely cooled, melt the chocolate and using a little piping bag, pipe the spooky little eyes (if you don't have a small piping bag, a great trick is to use a toothpick - simply dip the toothpick in the melted chocolate and use it as a pencil to make the eyes).
• Keep the meringue ghosts in an airtight container for up to a week (if they ever last that long!). 

Notes

• If you have time to spare, you can make your own aquafaba:
  • Soak dry chickpeas in lots of water overnight.
  • In the morning, rinse well and put in a large pot with lots of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 1 hour and a half (until beans are soft).
  • Drain the chickpeas by making sure you keep the cooking water. If the cooking water looks too runny compared to the water you find in canned chickpeas, you can simmer it on a low heat until it becomes the right thickness. You now have home-made aquafaba!
  • Make sure your aquafaba is completely cool before making your meringues.
• You can try using 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice if you cannot find the cream of tartar or you don’t have it at home.

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