Meringue Bones

(Jean’s Post)

Halloween is my favorite holiday because I adore costumes and dressing up.  I like to welcome trick or treaters to my home with a candlelit walkway arriving to a decorated landing, full lit displays in the surrounding windows, and me in full garb with a pumpkin filled to the brim with candy.  This year, I was a witch complete with a cauldron over a glittering fire and cob webs covering the branched doorway.  In one window displayed a spread of eerie delights which included a pile of meringue bones.

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s special Halloween edition 2011.  It’s practically a meringue cookie.  The bones were light and crunchy but more importantly a lovely décor for the evening.  Enjoy.

What you need…

6 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar

How to…

1. Preheat the oven to 200^o F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a heatproof mixing bowl, combine egg whites and sugar.  Place the bowl over a simmering pot of water and hand-whisk the egg and sugar till the sugar has completely dissolved and warm to the touch.  We are cooking eggs here.  I usually measure this by dipping my fingers (be careful it’s hot!) and rubbing the mixture between my fingers.  If I can still feel the sugar granules, it’s not ready.  If the mixture is smooth.  It’s done.
3. Remove the mixture from the simmering water and transfer to a mixer.
4. Whisk the mixture on high speed, for about 8 minutes, till stiff and glossy peaks form in the meringue.
5. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a tip about the width of the bones you would like.  I didn’t use a tip but rather had a ½ inch opening to pipe the meringue out.
6. Pipe bones directly onto the lined baking sheet.  Do what ever lengths you see fit.  I varied from 6 inches to 3 inches.  I first piped the length and then the ends of the bones.  Keep distance between the piped bones or they will stick.
7. Bake the bones until they are crisp throughout (aka not soft to the touch), approximately and hour.
8. Remove the bones carefully and place on a wire rack to cool.