Chocolate Chip Meringue Surprises

These are little mouthfuls of joy. Kids love them but they also get raves from the adults.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 50 meringues.

Ingredients

• 6  egg whites
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 -1 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Set aside.
4. Bring egg whites to room temperature before making cookies in order to produce the greatest volume when beating.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar.
6. Beat at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form.
7. Add sugar gradually (about 1 tablespoon at a time), while beating at the highest speed of the electric mixer.
8. Beat until stiff peaks form.
9. Fold in chocolate chips.
10. Drop meringue mixture by rounded teaspoons onto the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dry.
12. Cookies should remain white.
13. If they start to toast, turn down the heat and bake until dry.
14. I prefer to turn off the oven when complete and let the cookies completely dry out in the residual heat of the oven overnight (I generally bake these cookies at night).