Halloween Cupcakes with Worm-Infested Graves
1 hr 20 min
Vanilla cupcakes topped with chocolate buttercream, grated chocolate, fondant gravestones, and gummy worms — the kids go absolutely wild for these at Halloween.
muffinsbakingdessert
Crispy little meringue snowflakes on a stick — perfect for a kids' birthday or just getting into a winter mood.
Instructions
- 1
Rub the inside of your mixing bowl with a little salt and a few drops of lemon juice. Add the egg whites and one third of the sugar, then whisk on medium-high speed. Add the rest of the sugar a little at a time and keep whisking until the meringue is light and stiff.
- 2
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (size 8). Pipe four small dots in each corner of a baking tray, then lay a sheet of baking paper on top — the dots hold it in place while you work. Pipe a small dot onto the paper, lay a lollipop stick on it, then pipe another dot on top to anchor the stick. Now pipe small dots around it so the shape looks like a snowflake. Repeat until all the meringue is used up.
- 3
Put the tray in the oven at 70 °C for about 2 hours so the meringue dries out completely. Use the fan setting if you're baking more than one tray at a time.
- 4
Let the meringues cool completely before carefully peeling them off the baking paper.
Per average serving
51
Calories
kcal
1.6
Protein
g
11.4
Carbs
g
0
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
11.4g
Sugar
49mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
51
Calories
kcal
1.6
Protein
g
11.4
Carbs
g
0
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
11.4g
Sugar
49mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- Egg whites whip best at room temperature. If yours came straight from the fridge, let them sit out for 30 minutes before you start.
- Any trace of fat will stop your meringue from whipping properly. The salt-and-lemon-juice wipe at the start of step 1 isn't just a ritual, it actually strips grease from the bowl. Do it even if the bowl looks clean.
- Add the sugar slowly. If you dump it all in at once the meringue goes grainy and never quite recovers. A tablespoon at a time once you have soft peaks is the right pace.
- 70 °C for 2 hours is about drying, not baking. The meringues are done when they lift off the paper cleanly and feel completely hollow and dry to the touch. If they stick or feel soft at the base, give them another 20 minutes.
- Pipe the anchor dot first, lay the stick, then pipe on top before you build the snowflake shape. If you try to press the stick into a finished snowflake it will crack.
Ways to vary it
- You can tint the meringue with a drop or two of gel food colouring stirred in at the very end. Gel works better than liquid here because it won't thin the mixture. Pale blue or pink looks nice for a winter or birthday theme.
- For a subtle flavour, add a tiny drop of vanilla or almond extract when you add the last of the sugar. A little goes a long way with almond, so start with less than you think you need.
- If you don't have lollipop sticks, these work just as well piped straight onto the paper without any stick at all. Serve them as little snowflake cookies instead.
Storage & leftovers
Keep the cooled meringues in an airtight tin at room temperature, not the fridge. They'll stay crisp for up to two weeks. The fridge introduces moisture and they'll go soft and sticky fast. These don't need reheating, but if they've softened slightly, 10 minutes back in the oven at 70 °C will crisp them up again.
What to serve with it
They're sweet and light on their own, so a small cup of hot chocolate on the side is all you need. At a kids' party, pile them in a glass or jar so the sticks poke out and let the kids grab their own.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 21 July 2026
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