Forgotten Kisses

We recently had a lovely family over for dinner and they brought a unique healthy dessert. I'm sure you may have seen this odd looking pile of sweetness before- but maybe like me was met with unsteadiness and insecurities, which always encroach when facing a new, unfamiliar dessert, of course! These cookies are a whole new experience for eating dessert. They are simply delightful and are less than 45 calories!



So here is the recipe for "Forgotten Kisses" aka Meringue Cookies.

2 large egg whites, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped semisweet chocolates

Chopped nuts optional (add as much as desired)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (this usually takes forever... ;) ).

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. (Be careful not to over beat.) Add the sugar gradually, about 3 tablespoons at a time. When 1/2 of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract. Continue beating and adding remaining sugar in batches, until all of the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and tight. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

 

To transfer the goop to the baking sheet, I recommend using a pastry/icing bag. This will simply make your life easier and make for a smaller kiss (which is better, surprisingly, because of the final texture. Let's just say, its easier to fit in your mouth without blowing snowstorms everywhere)! So, Use an icing bag and squeeze a half-dollar sized amount per cookie onto a cookie sheet (greased or lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 3 hours or until dried and lightly browned. I am told it should look like a lightly roasted marshmallow, but I have little comprehension of this visual, seeing as I always burn my marshmallows to a crisp. Do NOT make a crispy burnt marshmallow-like cookie.

Oh, and this recipe will make about 4 dozen.......... haha.