DAGOBA CHOCODROP Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature   
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup DAGOBA 68% CHOCODROPS ((Los Rios, Pacuare or Milagros)*

Directions:

Position one oven rack in the top third of the oven and the other rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl just until the egg whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Beat in the vanilla. With a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips until well blended.

Drop the mixture by generous 1/4 cupfuls of meringue for each cookie, about 1 1/2-inches apart, on the parchment paper. Bake, switching the pans after 30 minutes, for 1 hour, or until the meringues are dry and light golden brown on the outside, and still a little soft on the inside. Let cool on the baking pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Carefully peel the meringues off the paper, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep for several days in an airtight container.

Makes 18 cookies

*Note:  If you don’t have the specific chocolate called for, substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity - the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor.  Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.