Chocolate Meringue Cookies

  Taste of Home’s Holiday Recipe Card Collection 2003 gave me the recipe for Chocolate Meringue cookies. They are a nice crisp cookie and easy to make. Without flour in the recipe, Celiac and Gluten Free eaters can have some. Not a lot of carbs so Bettie tried one one, but as she is not a sweet eater, thought they were good but she would save her carbs for potatoes. Lyle on the other hand thought these were great.

  My only complaint was that it makes a very small batch. I used milk chocolate, and melted it in a bowl over hot water. Your chocolate will stay nice and smooth this way and not get too hot. Do melt it before you beat the egg whites so it cools some. The 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar is to keep the outside crisp and the insides soft. There is no taste of the vinegar. Do Not use a flavored vinegar.

Chocolate Meringues

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips

2 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon white vinegar

½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

½ cup flaked coconut

¼ cup chopped almonds

  Melt chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add sugar, slowly beating until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Beat in vinegar and vanilla or almond extract. Fold in the melted chocolate until combined; fold in coconut and almonds.

  Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets.* Bake at 350° for 10 to 11 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 2 to 2 ½ dozen.

  *Parchment paper or Silplat baking sheets work well.