Chocolate and vanilla meringue cookies

Total Time:   3 hr  8 min   Prep: 8 min  Cook:  3 hr   Serves: 44
Difficulty: Easy

These sweet little meringue treats make an ideal bite-sized dessert for serving a crowd of any age or during any season. So you could plan to make them during the holidays or for your next potluck. They are egg white-sugar cookies that are baked for a long time at a low temperature which gives them a delectable crunchy texture. Make yours swirled by combining the two batters. Or for cookies with a decorative shape, gently spoon the egg white mixture into a pastry bags fitted with star tips and pipe into stars. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature—they’ll keep for about a week.

Ingredients

Egg white(s)

4 large

Distilled white vinegar

½ tsp, or cider vinegar

Sugar

1 cup(s)

 

 

Vanilla extract

2 tsp

Unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp, powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add vinegar; beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar; beat until glossy stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla.

3. Remove half of meringue to another bowl; stir in cocoa until blended.

4. Spoon tablespoons of both meringues onto prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart each, making about 44 cookies – half vanilla-flavored and half cocoa-flavored. Or you can make marbleized cookies by spooning 1/2 tablespoon of each type of meringue into a mound and then swirling the 2 together with your fingers.

5. Bake until meringues feel dry and crisp all the way through, about 3 hours. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely. Peel meringues off foil and store in an airtight container.

6. Serving size: 1 cookie