Chocolate Nut Meringue Cookies

Contributed by Adele Fleet Bacow

This recipe was originally called Beacon Hill Cookies and is from Butterfingers, a 1970s cookbook of the Sisterhood of Temple Habonim of the Barrington Jewish Center. I was looking for a non-coconut Passover cookie and Adele generously shared this recipe with me. It produces a light, meringue-style chocolate cookie, with chopped nuts inside for added texture. But here’s a tip that I discovered by accident: If you leave the cookies out on the counter uncovered overnight, they will dry up a bit and become dense and chewy. I found these more filling and satisfying, and a nice change from the usual meringue cookies. Whichever you prefer, these cookies are easy to make, but serve within a day or two of baking. I used almonds, but any nut will do.

Ingredients

6 ounces semisweet chocolate bits
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate bits and cool slightly. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar to form stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla, salt, and vinegar. Fold in melted chocolate and 1/2 cup of the chopped nuts, saving 1/4 cup for later.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and sprinkle with the remaining nuts. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove immediately with great care.