Ghostly meringues

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Place rack in the centre of the oven.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip.

In your mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. 

Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until you get very stiff peaks. Then beat in the vanilla extract.

Tip in the sugar gradually and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. 

Spoon the meringue into the pastry bag. Holding the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, evenly pipe 2 inch high mounds of meringue.

Press two miniature chocolate chips into each meringue ghost for the eyes and place in the oven to bake for between 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours or until they are dry and crisp to the touch. Switch off the oven, leave the door slightly open and leave the meringues in the oven to finish cooking for several hours.