Chocolate Chip Pecan Meringues

CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN MERINGUES

Make these meringues when they can remain overnight in the oven.

They are best made on a dry, sunny day.

4 egg whites, room temperature

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

12-oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cups pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heavily spray-grease two large baking pans & set aside.

In an electric mixer, beat room temperature egg whites until firm soft-peaks form; then gradually add sugar, salt, & vanilla.  Beat until stiff-peaks form.

By hand, stir in the chocolate chips & pecans until blended throughout.

Drop the meringue mixture by the spoons full onto the baking pans.  “Attempt” to give enough spreading room to keep meringues from touching.  (They are prettier when they don’t touch, but taste just as good if they do touch.)

Place the baking pans into the preheated oven; then immediately turn off the oven heat.  Do not open door of oven until removing the pans of the meringues in the morning.  Immediately store the meringues in an airtight container; moisture is not a friend!

They are like eating a crunchy, sweet puff of air!   I almost always make these when I have a recipe that calls for egg yolks only.  It’s seems impossible for me to throw out egg whites, so I refrigerate the whites.  Then, make these chocolate chip pecan meringues as soon as

convenient.