Meringues

Another family Christmas classic. I typically flavor half the meringues almond and use red food coloring, with the other half flavored mint and colored green. The parchment paper works like nothing else to get the meringues off the sheet without destroying them. Yield is my best guess. As with my shortbreads, these will keep in a cool place (Minnesota garage in December) throughout the Christmas season.

• Ready In: 8 hrs 20 mins
• Yields: 36 meringues

Ingredients

• 2  egg whites
• 1  pinch salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract or 1  teaspoon  mint extract
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  cup  nuts
• 16  ounces chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat the whites until foamy.
3. Add salt and cream of tartar, and beat until stiff.
4. Beat in the almond or mint extract, sugar, nuts and chocolate chips.
5. If desired, add food coloring as desired.
6. Place by teaspoons on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
7. Place the sheet in the oven, TURN OFF the oven, and let sit overnight.