Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Yield: About two dozen

Light, airy, and fun to make, these melt-in-your-mouth meringues look beautiful on a holiday dessert platter. For greater contrast to the sweet meringue, use dark chocolate chips instead of the traditional semi-sweet.

Adjust two oven racks to the center of the oven. Preheat to 225℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl. Beat whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt.

On high speed continue beating until soft peaks stand when beaters are lifted (it will look like a mountain shape and the top should droop and bend over).

On high speed, slowly beat in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. (Tip: if not weighing the sugar, be sure to shake off any excess and level the cup. A little sugar goes a long way in meringues.)

Continue beating until stiff peaks form (no droops) when beaters are lifted (about 10 minutes).

Add the vanilla, beating until just blended, and then gently fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Drop the mixture by heaping spoonfuls onto the parchment-lined pans, spacing one inch apart. If desired, dot the cookies with several additional chocolate chips, very lightly pressing into the meringue.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes; check on the early side (you don’t want these cookies to brown), and then turn off the oven and let the cookies sit in the hot oven for 30 minutes longer.

Transfer to cooling racks, and when cool enough, peel from parchment paper.

Storage: Once cool, store the meringues in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. The meringues may also be refrigerated for slightly longer storage as long as they are in an airtight container. Ultimately, the goal is to protect them from humidity, which will cause them to lose their crispness. Meringue cookies may also be layered between parchment or wax paper in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.