Chocolate Meringue Cookies: Guest Post by Bobbi Mumm

My mystery and chocolate worlds collide again! I guess lots of mystery readers and writers love chocolate! Today I welcome back Bobbi Mumm who answers the age old question of what to do with all those egg whites! Bobbi is a married mother of four children, a university administrator, and an occasional mystery writer. She’s excited to be going to China next month for two weeks and is expecting dynamite writing inspiration.

Bobbi Mumm:
Chocolate Meringue Cookies 

Every few months, after making puddings or custards, I find myself with unused egg whites. I’m not fond of scrambled egg whites so I tend to use them in baking. My family loves these cookies. They have a chewy, chocolatey centre that makes them irresistible. I also appreciate them for the fact that they are gentle on the waistline.
How do you like to use egg whites?

CHOCOLATE MERINGUE COOKIES

Ingredients 
• 3 large egg whites (at room temperature)
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions 
1. Preheat oven to 250F.
2. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt at high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
3. Sift cocoa over egg white mixture; fold in. Fold in chocolate chips. Don’t worry if you can still see some cocoa powder.
4. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls (they're small!) onto prepared baking sheets. They can be close together as they will not spread much with baking.
5. Bake at 275F for 45 minutes. Use two large baking sheets and bake them all at once.
6. Yield: 40-45 small cookies.