Forgotten Kisses

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These cookies should never be forgotten.

Forgotten Cookies
Photo: Joy Howard
Active Time:
15 mins
Bake Time:
5 mins
Stand Time:
8 hrs
Total Time:
8 hrs 20 mins
Yield:
12 cookies

A simple meringue cookie is a sweet pleasure on its own, but adding chocolate and nuts, as this classic recipe does, makes it even better. While there aren't many ingredients or steps to make these Forgotten Kisses, getting that just right, perfectly crisp texture can be elusive without following a few general rules.

First and foremost, be sure to make the cookies on a cool, dry day. Humidity is the enemy of any baked meringue and will wreak havoc on their texture, making them unpleasantly soft and chewy. And while the cookies will likely dry out after several hours, the best results will always come from leaving them in the oven overnight (no peeking!).

You'll get the loftiest results from letting your eggs come to room temperature before whipping them, but if you've forgotten to pull them out of the fridge before you start baking, you can set them in a glass of warm water for a few minutes to speed up the process.

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites

  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Pinch kosher salt

  • ½ cup caster sugar

  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

  • ½ cup toasted chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a stand mixer set at medium speed, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Continue adding the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, letting the sugar dissolve completely between each addition (you can check by rubbing a small bit of the meringue between your fingers to make sure it's not grainy). Continue whisking until stiff peaks form.

  2. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. Use a large tablespoon to spoon heaping portions of the meringue on the baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart (you should have enough for 12 cookies). Place in the oven and bake 5 minutes, the turn off the heat. Let the cookies dry in the oven for 8 hours or preferably overnight.

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