Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies

I know I shouldn't be baking again (after making this pizzelle recipe two days ago) but it's such a comforting thing to do when the snow is falling and you feel like warming the kitchen (and your stomach). Bathing suit season is still a few months away and these cookies are so rich tasting, one or two are enough to satisfy a sugar craving. Besides, I had lots of egg whites reserved in the freezer looking for a new home and I shared some of the cookies with a neighbor and other friends. So take that you extra calories! I hereby declare that making these was an altruistic deed. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

The recipe is from Cathy's blog, "Wives With Knives" and it's a keeper - easy to make, delicious and a crowd pleaser for any chocolate lover.

The batter contains no flour whatsoever, so they're also perfect for those who are gluten intolerant. It's an extremely thick and sticky batter as you can see from the spoon standing straight up in the bowl. 

 Use a couple of teaspoons to drop a bit onto a baking sheet. Leave some space between each of the "drops."

Don't try to remove them from a hot baking sheet or they'll stick. Have another baking sheet ready to go into the oven when the first one comes out. Then wait a few minutes until the first ones are cooled a bit and they're much easier to remove.

 Now pour yourself a glass of milk (or a bowl of vanilla ice cream) and sit back and enjoy these chewy, intensely chocolate-y cookies. And don't worry about trying on that bathing suit just yet. You've still got a couple of months to shed those extra pounds.

Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies

From "Wives With Knives"

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar


• ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


• ¼ teaspoon salt


• 2-1/2 cups chocolate chips


• 4 egg whites


• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract


• optional ingredients: dried cranberries, dried cherries, toffee bits, or walnuts

Instructions

1. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or use a Silpat silicone mat.


2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Stir in chocolate chips. Add egg whites and vanilla; mix with a fork or electric mixer on medium until batter is just moistened. (Do not overbeat or batter will stiffen.)


3. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes. Cool briefly, then carefully remove from parchment paper with a spatula. Cookies may be soft and fragile so proceed carefully to lift cookies and place them on racks to cool. The cookies were difficult to remove from the cookie sheet right out of the oven, so let them cool and they'll be easier to remove. Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.