Forgotten on Purpose Cookies

I stake my reputation as a cookie baker in our family on these cookies. And in this age of people with food issues, they have become a favorite to take to church dinners…there is always someone who has nut allergies or  gluten issues or who is careful with sugar. So here is the recipe for Forgotten Cookies. 

This recipe makes 48 but is easily cut in half or even a quarter. Preheat oven to 325. I use parchment paper on my cookies sheets, no greasing allowed. Then: 
1. Pour 4 egg whites into a glass or stainless steel bowl. (I also have used a 2 quart glass measuring cup for this size recipe or 1 quart glass measuring cup for 2 egg whites)
2. Add a teaspoon cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat until stiff and the batter stands in peaks.
3. Add 1 1/3 cups sugar a tablespoon or so at a time, beating constantly .
4. Stir in a teaspoon of flavoring of choice (not oils but flavoring) – vanilla or almond is nice but we prefer mint if we do not have mint chocolate chips or chopped Andes mints. You can tell we like mint cookies. At the same time as I add the flavoring, I add coloring, usually either green or red. These cookies look great at Christmas piled in glass jars.
5. Finally stir in a package of mini-chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips or mint-chocolate chips. The mini-chips make for more even  distribution. Drop batter by teaspoon onto parchment paper – I use an ice-teaspoon with another spoon to push the batter off if it wants to hang on. This helps me work more efficiently and get less batter on me. 

TURN THE OVEN OFF AFTER YOU PUT THE BAKING TINS IN. Leave in closed oven for 5 hours or overnight.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. You use glass or stainless steel because you must make sure there is no oil or grease touching the meringue. The grease will prevent the egg whites from becoming beautiful meringue. The batter will wilt.
2. These cookies are gluten free.
3. You can make them without the chocolate chips.
4. I have made them with monkfruit sweetener – granulated. I used half and half – regular sugar and monkfruit sweetener or ¾ regular sugar and ¼ monkfruit. We like the ¾ to ¼ version better. You can get this sweetener at Amazon or Wegmans. It lowers the calorie count even further. Bottom line, one cookie comes in under 50 calories even with regular sugar.
5. The cookies can be frozen but keep pretty well in any container that seals well. I have even mailed them as Christmas gifts in jars chosen according to the recipient’s tastes.

So there you are. A great cookie and you don’t have to watch the time or oven. I usually make them at the end of other baking when the oven is already hot.

Watch for my next post – I will tell you about a book I have fallen in love with.