Forgotten Cookies

By SallySmo

I think Mom used to make something like this but I don't have her recipe. I saw this recipe online and it made me think of one she'd done in years past.

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of minced pecans

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Beat egg whites with a mixer on medium low until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar and increase speed to medium high. Add the granulated sugar a little at a time until full incorporated, continually beating until mixture stiffens.

Add the powdered sugar and peppermint extract and increase to high, beating until still peaks form. Remove and gently fold in the chocolate chips and pecans until blended in. Dot the meringue with food coloring (optional), and spoon into a piping bag with 1/2 inch tip, or gently swirl in the food coloring and drop by tiny teaspoons onto the parchment paper. You want these meringues to be very small, bite-sized drops.

Place both trays into the oven and let bake at 200 degrees F for 2 hours. Turn oven off, turn oven light on, and leave the meringues in the oven another hour, or overnight, to dry completely and crisp up. Do not open the oven. Yield depends on how large you drop them, but this recipe can make up to 5 dozen, when piped tiny, at about 1 inch round.


~Cook's Notes~

Old School: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When you have all of the cookies on the trays, turn the oven off and turn the oven light on. Place the trays into the oven and leave them overnight, or up to 12 hours to set and dry until crisp. Do not open the oven. I have heard all of my life not to not attempt to make candy or meringues on a rainy, damp day, or if rain is forecast, because it will not set. While you may have more success with the oven method with rain, use this overnight method only when the skies are clear and no rain is in the forecast.

Tip: Blend in food coloring to tint these for special occasions, such as Christmas and Easter, or for bridal and baby showers, receptions and teas.

For Chocolate Chip Pecan Meringues: Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract for the peppermint, and add in 1 cup of finely chopped pecan, along with the chocolate chips. Omit the food coloring.

-Deep South Dish