This recipe was contributed by Andrea Wilder. Crushed peppermint gives these delicate cookies a bit of a holiday vibe because red-and-white-striped peppermint candy canes are so closely associated with Christmas, but, according to Andrea, you can omit the peppermint in this recipe, if you prefer.
Ingredients
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup fine sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies
Directions
Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature before beginning. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they are foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar. Continue beating the mixture until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and beat well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is stiff. With a spatula, fold in the vanilla, chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint by hand.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls, one-half inch apart, on a greased baking sheet. Bake for forty minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Makes about four dozen cookies.