Forgotten Cookies (aka Meringues)

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 - 2/3 Cup sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 C chocolate chips / crushed nuts

1. Warm eggs to room temperature.
2. Separate eggs, religiously keeping any egg yolk out of the egg whites.
   • I separate each egg into an empty cup, examine the white carefully, and ever so gently deposit the yolk in another cup.
   • If the yolk sits, unbroken, in another cup, then it's likely that the white is clean.
   • If the yolk breaks when deposited, then I set the white aside, and only use that one if I run out of eggs.
3. Beat / blend egg whites, until stiff and they form peaks.
4. Fold in sugar, vanilla, and nuts / chocolate chips.
5. Preheat oven to 325.
6. Drop egg mixture using a very clean teaspoon, onto a very clean cookie sheet. The cookies will not expand, so you can put them on the sheet as closely as necessary. Each cookie should be about one teaspoon of cookie batter. One batch = one 11" x 16" cookie sheet.
7. For best results, plan that all cookies are directly exposed to the heating elements in the oven. Only use one shelf in the oven, and place cookie sheets side by side, as best possible. Two 11" x 16" cookie sheets just barely fit beside each other, in a 16" deep oven.
8. Put the cookies into the oven, as soon as possible after putting them on the sheet.
9. If necessary, turn the oven temperature up, until it lights again. This is very important.
10. Leave the oven on for 5 minutes - no more - then turn the oven off. If you catch any odor of burning, turn the oven off immediately, but do not despair, and do not open the oven door.
11. Leave the cookies in the oven, and do not open the door, 4 hours to overnight. 8 to 12 hours is not too long, noting that you have turned the oven off. The cookies dry (harden) slowly - meringue bakes very gradually.
12. If time is short, you can accelerate the drying of the cookies. A couple hours before you are scheduled to remove them from the oven, turn the oven back on, and bring the temperature up to 200 or so for 5 minutes. Don't forget to turn it off after 5 minutes!
13. Remove the cookies from the oven, and from the trays, and place in an airtight container, stacked between sheets of wax paper.
14. Serve when ready (if you can keep folks from serving themselves).