Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Chocolate Meringue Cookies
These are great low-calorie cookies that are so easy to make! You can make many variations by adding different flavors, toppings, add-ins, and coloring. Topping examples could be crushed candy cane, colored sugar crystals, chocolate chips, toasted coconut, crushed almonds, etc. Add-ins could be nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc. Coloring is a fun way to make the cookies match a particular holiday – black coloring added to dark chocolate makes for great “coal” cookies in a stocking!

Ingredients:
4 egg whites – wait until the eggs are room temperature to separate.
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp of vanilla extract*
2 TBS dark cocoa powder**

*You can change the flavor of these by using different flavors of extract, but as a general rule, I always use at least 1/8th tsp of vanilla and then add 1/8th or 1/4th tsp of another extract such as peppermint, brandy, lemon, etc.
** Feel free to vary this amount depending on how much chocolate you are craving – some times I just as much as 5-6 TBS – all depends on the taste you’re looking for.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper that has been sprayed lightly with oil or greased with butter. 

2. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on high for 15 seconds and then switch to medium, add the extract and mix until soft peaks form. Soft peaks will be formed when you can pull a peak up with a fork, but it immediately slumps over.

 3. With the mixer on medium speed SLOWLY add the sugar. As a general rule, adding the sugar should take you about 5 minutes. I have heard others say to mix 2 TBS at a time and let mix completely in between each add.

4. Once the sugar is added, mix on medium/medium high until stiff peaks form and the mixture is shiny and glossy. This should take another 1-2 minutes after the sugar is added. Stiff peaks will be formed when you can pull a peak up with a fork and only the very tip top curls back over.

5. Now use a spatula to fold in the cocoa – this may seem like it takes a little while, but resist the urge to mix it in the mixer – you may mess up the air content in the meringue.

6. Once the mixture is all the same color, spoon it out into a large ziplock bag and squeeze some of the excess air out.

7. Next cut a tip about ½ - ¾ inch wide at the tip.

8. Pipe the meringue into dollops about 1-2 inches in diameter on the cookie sheet. They come out cleaner if they are not touching, but if you run out of room, it’s ok to let them touch – they won’t expand too much.

9. Place in oven and cook for 5 minutes at 350 F.

10. After 5 minutes, turn the oven off and leave in oven for 4-6 hours or overnight.

11. Store in airtight container – moisture in the air will ruin these cookies!