Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies

“The holidays will soon be here and in many families it has become tradition to bake cookies. I am always looking at recipes and when I found this one, I had to try it. It quickly has become a favorite! Delicate, decadently delicious and made without butter and flour! Well, I wouldn’t call it exactly healthy, but not having butter and flour in it probably is a win-win for a cookie this time of year!”
– Carolyn

Prep time 20 minutes
Bake time 8-10 minutes
Calories 67 per cookie
Servings 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

6 oz Semisweet Chocolate Baking Bar (1 1/2 boxes)
2 large Egg Whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Method

Separate out egg whites and let them come to room temperature.
Set oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line your largest baking sheet with parchment paper. You will be able to fit all of the cookies on one baking sheet if it is a large one.
Break the 6 oz. of baking chocolate into small pieces and put in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave chocolate at very low heat until about 75% melted and then just allow it all to completely melt. You don’t want your chocolate to become very warm, just melted.
In a large mixer bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter, vanilla and salt until soft peaks form when you lift the beaters.
Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form and stand up straight when the beaters are lifted from the mixture.
Remove bowl from your mixer and with a spatula, gently fold the melted chocolate and chocolate chips into the egg whites until batter is uniform. Do not over mix.
Immediately drop heaping tablespoons of batter about 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies look dry on the surface but are still very gooey inside when you press on them.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Enjoy the same day or wrap in an airtight container. Do not stack tight as they crumble easily.

Tips

The trick to this cookie is to have the chocolate melted but not hot so it does not deflate the egg whites.
Also, do not stir the chocolate into the egg whites, but fold it in with a wide spatula slowly. You want to keep as much of the egg white volume as possible.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think by sending me an email. I would love to hear from you!