On a Roll - With Cookies

I am finally getting into the cookie spirit. As usually happens with me, once I start, no matter how innocently, no matter that I intended to make about 4 kinds of cookies total, I get carried away. Right now I have 3 kinds of cookies made, and only one of these three is one I intended to make. I mentioned at the end of my blog yesterday that I was going to make Forgotten Cookies next. And so it was. I did, however, already have a dough made for another kind, which I made this morning. For now though, the Forgotten Cookies.
 

Forgotten Cookies

I first learned of these cookies when I was 17 years old (a L-O-N-G time ago, in 1967). My boyfriend at the time, Dick McKinney, took me to his parents' house. We watched Charlie Brown's Christmas on TV and his Mom had cookies out as refreshments. I tasted one of these cookies and went into raptures. I had a very hard time remembering any kind of manners, as I sort of ate my way through the plate of them! I asked his Mom what kind of cookies they were, and she said "Forgotten Cookies, because you 'forget' them in the oven overnight." The cookies themselves are just simple meringues, with chocolate chips and nuts in them.
 

Forgotten Cookies

While it was a very long time before I ever found a recipe, sometime in the 1990s (I married - someone else - moved to Guatemala for 12 years, came back, got settled in the US, divorced, remarried....), I did always remember the name of the cookies. I do not recall where exactly I found it, finally, but when I made them, I remembered well why I loved them so much. Yesterday I spent some time online, just looking around, and found that Forgotten Cookie recipes are pretty much identical, no matter where one looks. It is not my original recipe. Why change a good thing? But here is the recipe anyway, just in case someone out there has missed these little gems, somehow.

Forgotten Cookies

Makes about 40 to 45

2 egg whites
pinch salt
⅔ cup sugar, processed to fine powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg whites with salt, until they hold soft peaks. Beat in the sugar until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Add in the vanilla, then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto aluminum foil or parchment lined cookie sheets. Place in the preheated oven and turn off the heat at once and leave for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Drop small dollops of the meringue onto parchment sheets

In the morning, they are perfectly dried little meringue cookies that melt in your mouth.
 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.