Chocolate cupcakes are adorned with chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs and meringue ghosts. They will make a cute Halloween treat for young chicldren and also the young at heart.

Halloween cupcakes
 

I am not much of cake decorator but I do enjoy making fun cupcakes with my kids.
Halloween is coming near, and this year I made some easy cupcakes with my Sous-Chefs (?) to celebrate the fun tradition of this country.

I am not going to add tutorial on the cupcake part because you can use your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe and chocolate frosting. You can even use store bought cake mix and frosting to make your life easier. All you need to do is bake some meringues to make cute ghosts.

Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in a high speed until soft peak forms.
Add vanilla.
Gradually add sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time until…
 
the steep peak forms like this.
 
 I put the mixture in a zip lock bag and cut the ends about 1/2″ wide.
If you have a pastry bag with 1/2″ round tip, that would work the best.
Just swirl around to make a base and build to the top ending with a slanted tip.
 
 Bake at 200ºF for 75minutes.
Turn off the heat and keep the meringue for another 1 hr until they dry completely.
They can be kept in a airtight container for 1 week as long as the climate is dry.
For the Ghost face, I put some frosting in a small zip lock bag,
cut a tiny slit, and dot eyes and mouth.
 
 Crush some Oreo cookies without the white filling.
(I used the store brand, copycat of Oreo, since they were much cheaper)
 
 Frost cupcakes with your frosting.
So nice to have a Sous-Chef in the house, isn’t it?
 
Sprinkle the cookie crumbs on top.
 
 Put a little bit of frosting on the bottom of ghost and stick it on top of the crumbed cupcake.
 
For the tomb stones, use any rectangular shaped cookies.
(I used back side of coconut cookies)

Use the same frosting in a bag and just drizzle to write the words you like.

While one is busy making, the other is chowing down.

“Mommy, I ate the ghost!”

Have a Happy Halloween!

 
Halloween Meringue Ghosts
makes about 24 ghosts

 

3 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 C granulated sugar 
chocolate frosting for eyes and mouth
 
Preheat your oven to 200ºF.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment whip egg whites and cream of tartar until well mixed on high speed. Add vanilla and whip.
Add sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, continue to whip until the steep peak forms.
Put the mixture in a pastry bag with 1/2″ round tip, or put in a zip lock bag and cut 1/2″ slit on the corner.
 
Place parchment paper on the baking sheet. Squeeze out the filling, swirling around to make 2″ circle to form a base, and build to make ghost shape with a slanted tip on top.
Bake for 75 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep the meringue in the closed oven for another 1 hr until they dry completely.
You can store them in a airtight container for up to 1 week.